Review: BMW X5

A lot is known and unknown about the X5 and we are trying to shed some light on the parts which have kept people in the dark about this SUV. Infact after it was internationally launched in 1999, the BMW X5 was the car to put the 'Sports' in the Sports Utility Vehicle. So it has a history and when it first came to the scene, it was truly the king of the road.

BMW decided that it was time to give this one a new look and that translates into the new car coming to India. This BMW X5 shares much of its platform with the old car but there is lot that has been updated on the new one. The body shell is stronger and lighter than before and BMW has done a lot of work on it to make it even more refined.

You even get to see new 7-series-based seats and even the suspension has been worked upon to handle bad road conditions. Even the steering system has taken a turn from being hydraulically assisted to electric.

The X5 will come with two engine options - the petrol 4.4-litre V8 and the 3.0-litre straight six diesel. The petrol V8 churns out 442 bhp and is a treat to drive. Provide throttle and it leaps to your delight and though there are bits and pieces of aluminium and plastic used in the car, the X5 weighs in at a heavy 2175kg. Still the petrol engine is so powerful that it pulls this mammoth clean and with equal amount of ease. This is also thanks to the 8-speed automatic gearbox which shifts like a dream.

Inside the X5 awaits a world of difference. The quality has been upped and you truly are transferred into a new world. There is the intuitive touch pad on top of the iDrive controller which allows you to access your phone book with just a scribble of your finger in addition to the conventional scroll/push function. Now, that's something!

All in all it's a car that you would want to look forward to and come February at the Auto Expo BMW plans to launch the car here. With its muscular body, unparalleled luxury and hopefully the right price, the X5 will be a force to reckon with.