Next in line for a refresh is the 2023 BMW X5 M power SUV. The top X5 crossover will arrive next Spring bringing to market some mild, but effective upgrades. Visually, the BMW X5 M Facelift will get new headlights, a slightly redesigned kidney grille and a redesigned front bumper. The kidney grille doesn’t seem to have grown in size, but it might come with the illuminated grille seen on recent BMWs. The headlights are slimmer and sportier than before, while out back, the taillights are have more three-dimensional geometry than the current car’s. You can see the updated BMW X5 M spy photos here.

As with recent BMW models, the biggest improvements will come from within the cabin. BMW will bring the X5 M Facelift to the same level of luxury and technology as recent BMWs (7 Series, X7 LCI) with the inclusion of a large and curved display. Powered by iDrive 8, the new infotainment system will be more powerful and customizable than ever, despite an initial learning curve. Of course, the new screen will also slightly change the dashboard’s layout.

New V8 Engine

Though, the big news in our opinion is the engine. The updated 2023 BMW X5 M Facelift will get an all-new engine, the upcoming S68. It’s the first all-new V8 from the M Division it what feels like forever. Gone is the old 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8, in favor of a new twin-turbo V8, which will also get 48-volt mild-hybrid power. Don’t expect much added power from the mild-hybrid system but it should pack a few extra ponies, helping to reduce turbo-lag and add punch at the bottom of the rev range.

This new S68 engine will be shared with all V8 powered M cars, including the X6 M and next-gen M5. We don’t know how much power it will make but we wouldn’t be surprised if it made around the M5 CS’ 627 horsepower. The power is still sent to the all wheels via the M xDrive system via the eight-speed automatic transmission. We’ll drive the S68 in other models first, and we’re eager to do so, but we’re especially interested to see how this new engine performs in the first-ever BMW X5 M60i.

According to our sources, BMW won’t start production of the BMW X5 M and X6 M LCI in Spartanburg until April 2023. So we expect the first units to hit dealerships a few weeks after.

[Photo by instagram.com/wilcoblok]