Sachin Tendulkar launches all-new BMW X5 luxury SUV in India

BMW India’s brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar, launched the 4th generation X5 luxury SUV. Prices of the all-new BMW X5 start from Rs. 72.9 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi, for the base diesel model, going up to Rs. 82.4 lakhs for the higher petrol and diesel variants. The luxury SUV is assembled in India through the completely knocked down (CKD) kit route. It will rival the Volvo XC90, Mercedes Benz GLE and the Audi Q7 SUVs. Unlike the Q7 though, which happens to be the largest SUV in the segment that also offers 7 seats, the X5 will be a five seater. The new BMW X5 is much larger than the 3rd generation model, but is slightly shorter. The increase in width gives the new X5 a more planted, squat stance.

Talking dimensions, the new BMW X5 measures 4,922 mm in length, 2,004 mm in width, 1,745 mm in height and 2,975 mm in terms of wheelbase. The new X5 is 36 mm longer and 66 mm wider. The wheelbase goes up by 42 mm while overall height goes down by 17 mm. The luxury SUV is based on BMW’s CLAR (Cluster Architecture) platform that it shares with the 5-Series, 7-Series and X7.

Extensive use of aluminium and high tensile steel in this platform means that the new X5 is actually lighter than the older version despite being larger. In terms of design, the new X5 gets a full revamp, with the front and rear bumper, narrow LED headlamps, new LED tail lamps, new alloy wheels and a massive Kidney grille up front as the key highlights.

On the inside, a clean, minimal design theme is the highlight. As for the variant on offer, the new BMW X5 is offered in 3 trims: 30d Sport, 30d XLine and 40 MSport. Bookings for all variants are now open across all BMW dealerships in India, and deliveries will commence soon. Delving into mechanicals, the diesel engine on both variants is the tried and tested, 3 liter twin turbocharged inline 6 motor with 262 Bhp of peak power and 620 Nm of peak torque. The petrol engine is also a 3 liter, inline 6 unit, running twin turbochargers and making 340 Bhp of peak power and 450 Nm of peak torque. Both engines get 8 speed, torque converter automatic gearboxes from ZF.

The engines drive all four wheels of the SUV by means of the xDrive all wheel drive system. With driving pleasure in mind, BMW has tuned the xDrive all wheel drive system to send power mainly to the rear wheels except in case of low grip situations when torque will be channeled to the front wheels as well. In terms of safety, the new BMW X5 gets a flurry of active and passive safety options, ranging from 7 airbags, ABS, traction control to ESP, hill hold, hill descent control, cruise control, multiple drive modes and more. The infotainment unit is a large, 12.3 inch touchscreen unit with gesture control and Apple CarPlay. Other key features on the car include a panoramic sunroof, wireless charging, touchscreen remote keyfob, remote parking and remote start.