The 2019 X5 will give buyers fewer main trims to puzzle over, at least initially. Recall that today’s BMW X5 is offered with 3.0-liter turbo inline-six gasoline motor and 3.0-liter turbo inline-six diesel, 4.4-liter turbo V8 and 2.0-liter turbo-four hybrid powertrain options — and, of course, the X5M performance variant. Plus, the 3.0-liter turbo I6 gets rear- and all-wheel-drive options (all other cars get AWD).
For 2019, you will (at least at launch) choose between the X5 xDr40i or the X5 xDr50i, which works out to a 3.0-liter turbo inline-six with AWD and a 4.4-liter turbo V8 with AWD, respectively. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic.
Displacements look familiar, but each motor has a higher output than its predecessor (335 hp and 330 lb-ft and 456 hp and 479 lb-ft for the new I6 and V8, respectively) and a subsequently quicker 0-60 sprint — always important for vehicles in this corner of the market — at 5.3 seconds for the I6 model and an impressive 4.6 seconds for the V8.
That extra quickness comes despite a 1.6-inch longer wheelbase, for an overall vehicle length increase of 1.1 inches, and an extra 1 inch of ride height. The X5 ain’t getting any smaller, it seems. Or lighter: At 4,813 pounds for the xDr40i and 5,170 pounds for the xDr50i, curb weights are up about 75 pounds each over their direct predecessors.
Inside the 2019 BMW X5.
Audi says its new flagship crossover coupe, called Q8, combines the “elegance of a four-door luxury coupe with the practical versatility of a large SUV.” And it will do well off-road too, …
But maybe this time, it’s not just bigness for bigness’ sake: Like the current X5, the 2019 model will get an optional third row of seats, and hopefully some of the increased wheelbase (and more upright profile translates to a roomier third row; at present, that spot is best reserved for kids.
Inside, BMW seems to have brought the X5 fully up to date with two — count ‘em, two — 12.3-inch digital display screens. And the left seat has been, finally, and according to BMW, optimized to provide a driver “the best possible view to enable him or her to maintain complete command over the task of driving.”
Task of driving? That’s a very un-Ultimate Driving Machine way to put it, guys.
On the other hand, there does seem to be a lot of effort paid into making this a sporty driver: BMW will offer Integral Active Steering as an option. Yep, you’ll be able to get electromechanically operated rear steering on your new X5; the system can steer the rear wheels in the same direction as the fronts or turn them in the opposite direction, depending on speed, with the goal of improving maneuverability in tight spaces as well as high-speed stability.
Don’t expect it to challenge a Wrangler at Moab, but the new X5 gets an optional off-road package — the first offered on an X-series vehicle.
Forget the obvious contradiction for a minute — the realization that one of the best off-road vehicles you can buy off the rack is far more likely to be profiling on Las Vegas Boulevard than rock ..
And it should get better off-road chops thanks to an optional off-road package, which combines the X5’s adjustable air suspension with a first-ever electronically controlled rear differential lock. Front and rear underbody protection help keep the mechanical bits safe.
Remote start, a cold-climate must-have, will finally be available (it was apparently offered briefly on the outgoing model before being discontinued). Further, the panoramic sunroof is even more panoramic — by 30 percent, claims BMW.
BMW is mum on the inevitable M version, but for now, know that you’ll be able to step up from the standard xLine to the M Sport trim and get body-color wheel arches and bumper trim plus 20-inch wheels (19-inchers are standard) with 21- and 22-inch wheels available. Inside, M Sport models get different deals, special seat piping, aluminum interior trim and an M Sport steering wheel.
The 2019 BMW X5 will go on sale this November. Expect full pricing information closer to then.
