New BMW X5 breaks cover

By Jack Rix

08th February 2010

THE new X5 is aiming high! These are the first official pictures of BMW’s facelifted off-roader, and while the styling upgrades are hard to spot, under the skin there are some considerable changes.

Exterior modifications are limited to revised bumpers and light clusters, front and rear, plus enlarged tailpipes. The big news, though, is a new line-up of cleaner but more powerful engines.

The entry-level xDrive30d has been upgraded to produce 241bhp, 10bhp more than before, while returning 38.2mpg and only 195g/km of CO2. The xDrive40d uses an engine first seen on the 7-Series. With 302bhp and 600Nm of torque, it rockets from 0-60mph in 6.6 seconds, but still delivers 37.7mpg and emits 198g/km of CO2. For those who want to go quicker still, the xDrive48i has been replaced by the 402bhp twin-turbo V8 xDrive50i.

Prices will start from £43,980 for the 30d SE, rising to £58,175 for the 50i M Sport when the X5 hits showrooms  in June – a rise of around £2,500 across the board.

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