New 2013 BMW X5 review, test drive

Not many remember that the original BMW X5 was the vehicle that actually put the ‘Sport’ in Sport Utility Vehicle. When it was launched internationally in 1999, the X5 was the first 4x4 of its kind to use a car-like monocoque body and the first serious attempt by a manufacturer at making a driver’s car out of a high-riding SUV. The resultant vehicle’s excellent driving manners opened up this kind of vehicle to a whole new type of buyer – over the years, BMW has sold 1.3 million X5s worldwide – and it’s why this third-generation X5 looks pretty much the same as before. Why fix what’s not broken, right? 

So, what you see when you walk up to it is an X5 that incorporates all of BMW’s current styling cues. The nose is a lot bolder now and, like we first saw in the F30 3-series, incorporates headlights that stretch up to the grille. The kidney grille itself is more prominent, which along with the aggressive-looking bumper, strong contouring on the bonnet and pronounced shoulder line adds to the X5’s more grown-up and purposeful look. At the rear, the new tail-lamps and bumper are subtle changes over the old car, in comparison to the front. 

This BMW X5 shares much of its platform with the old car but a lot of it has been thoroughly updated. The body shell is stronger and lighter than before and a lot of working has been done to improve refinement. Transmission noise has been cut down via the front bulkhead, the glasshouse while the wheel-housings have sound deadening too. There are new 7-series-based seats that cut down on vibration and the suspension has been reworked to deal with small bumps better. Most significant of all though is a switch from hydraulically assisted steering to the electric variety.