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It may not be as fun to drive as the Porsche Cayenne, nor is it as effortlessly smooth as the Genesis GV80, but the 2024 BMW X5 blends traits from both of those to create an agreeable-and agreeably luxurious-middle ground.
From the outset, it’s clear the X5 is going for broad appeal. Why else would BMW offer it with a trio of different powertrains, including a silky-smooth inline-six, an authoritative twin-turbo V-8, and an environmentally friendly plug-in hybrid? The SUV’s cabin is lined with premium materials and, like other BMWs, includes cleverly integrated technology features like a slick-looking curved digital display that stretches nearly the length of the dashboard. This approach results in a luxury SUV so well-rounded that its few shortcomings are easily overlooked, and the X5 remains one of our favorite mid-size crossovers.
What’s New for 2024?
BMW has sharpened the X5’s exterior for 2024, including a revised front grille and bumper, new headlamps and taillamps, and updated wheel designs. The top-spec M60i model wears gloss-black exterior accents, quad tailpipes, and an M logo in the grille. Both the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 engines benefit from a new 48-volt hybrid system, and the six-cylinder has been massaged further to boost output to 375 horsepower. Despite changing its name from M50i to M60i, the performance-oriented model’s horsepower stays the same at 523 ponies. Last year’s xDrive45e plug-in hybrid variant has been replaced with a more powerful xDrive50e, which offers 94 more horsepower and 10 more miles of electric-only driving range, for 483 horsepower and 40 miles of EV driving. All X5s also receive a new curved infotainment display and BMW’s latest iDrive 8 software interface, which is already scheduled for an update to iDrive 8.5 sometime in the summer of 2023. The X5 is also now available with the Highway Assistant hands-free driving feature that we first experienced in the new 7-series flagship luxury sedan.
We love saving money almost as much as we love great performance, and that’s why we think the xDrive40i is the X5 to buy. It’s got sports-sedan acceleration, comes with all-wheel drive, and is a relative bargain in this pricey class. We’d recommend adding the Premium package for its head-up display, LED exterior lighting, remote engine-start capability, and Harman/Kardon stereo system.
Author: Drew Dorian
Source: Car & Driver
