BMW X5 30d SE auto

Luxury, 4x4 and green. These are three words that don’t sit comfortably together.

Symbolising everything that environmentalists detest about 4x4s, top end all-wheel-drive models are often as polluting as they are extravagant. Including a premium off-roader in this test was a risky move – will the X5 be able to prove its worth?

As with most BMWs, the SUV has the lowest official emissions, discounting hybrids, in its class. But with a CO2 output of 214g/km, the 3.0d sits in band F – the second most costly tax rating.

Get behind the wheel, and the X5’s pace goes some way to justifying its costs. This entry-level diesel managed the sprint from 0-60mph in 8.2 seconds, which was comfortably faster than any other model here.

On smooth roads, the X5 has the agility to match its pace. There are executive saloons with less handling finesse, but when the BMW hits narrow lanes and rougher surfaces, the suspension is too firm to cope with the bumps. Travel too quickly down a rural road, and it’s like being on a bucking bronco!

Priced at £40,970, the 3.0d is pitched at the Mercedes M-Class and top-spec Volvo XC90s. In the same way that Kia’s Sportage offers an adventurous alternative to family hatchbacks, the BMW is more versatile than a 5-Series. But can it justify 27mpg and actual CO2 emissions of 277g/km? To answer yes to that question, buyers had better be certain they need to tackle rugged terrain.