New BMW X5 India review, test drive

This is the all-new BMW X5. It gets a lot of updates inside, outside and under the skin. So, is it still as much fun to drive?

Published on Apr 25, 2014 03:22:00 PM

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New BMW X5 SUV.

Set it to ‘Sport’ or ‘Sport+’ and these responses become increasingly quicker, while the steering gets noticeably heavier. The Sport mode is also recommended at higher speeds because the X5 rides flatter and the bit of float you get from the softer rear suspension in Comfort disappears.

Speaking of which, the X5 now comes standard with air suspension, self-levelling rear-suspension and electronic damper control.

In fact, that evolutionary facelift hides a lot of changes under the skin. Based largely on the old X5’s chassis (the wheelbase is the same as well), BMW concentrated on losing some of the old X5’s flab. So there’s extensive use of ultra high-tensile steel in the monocoque body shell, the bonnet is made of aluminium and the side panels are thermo-plastic. A lot of work has gone into improving refinement as well – transmission noise has been cut down via the front bulkhead and the wheel-housings have sound deadening too. There are also new 7-series-based seats that cut downon vibration.

It is clear that the X5 feels more grown up than ever before, but does that mean it has lost some of its BMW-like driver appeal? I’m happy to tell you, it’s still fun to drive. For something that weighs north of two tonnes, it will outdrive most regular sedans and that is impressive. Body control is excellent, the steering is direct and weighty enough and thanks to our car’s 275-section front and 315-section rear tyres, even the unexpected shower the next morning couldn’t throw the X5 off its line. The latest xDrive system in this car can send 100 percent of the power to either axle and this, along with the dynamic stability control, ensures its sure-footedness even on Delhi’s greasy roads.

Few Indian owners are likely to exploit all of the X5’s handling potential though. What they will be more interested in are the rear seats, and here lies a small problem. While it’s easy to get into the middle row thanks to the low-ish seats and the wide opening doors, you will find a slight lack of thigh support (which is strange because BMW usually gets this right). There are no complaints about space though – there’s ample headroom, width and legroom, and the seats slide fore and aft and split 40:20:40 for added flexibility.