Plug-in hybrid cars are not for everyone. In order for the owner to be able to use them as efficiently as possible, he needs a daily private charger (at home or at work), because only then will he use the full potential. In the facelifted X5, the battery has increased to a respectable 25 kWh, so the car can travel around 100 km on a single charge – in this case, you can consider charging every other day, but it will still be better if you get used to simply plugging such a car straight into the socket when you get home.
The electric motor itself has 197 hp and 280 Nm, so it is quite enough for normal driving around the city and the surrounding area. At the same time, you still have a three-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine under the hood, which will take you anywhere at any time, even if you can’t charge at the moment. The combined output of the hybrid system is 489 hp and the torque reaches 700 Nm. With such a portion of power, even a crossover weighing almost 2.5 tons can push forward more than decently. And he can afford it, because the chassis does not lag behind the powerful engine.
Since the first generation of the X5, BMW has been very confident that their SUV drives better than others – that’s why they put it in the SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) category, which the automaker itself invented to emphasize how much better their model is. To be fair, X5s have always driven a bit better than their direct rivals, and this generation is no different. And this despite the new X5 being widened by 66 mm, so you really don’t feel like you’re driving a small car from the steering wheel. However, its confidence on a twisty road is astounding because of it.
Well, the interior is also stunning, especially in the tested version, where there was no shortage of extra Merino leather, matte-treated wood moldings, perfect nighttime ambient lighting and a lot of other luxury equipment. However, I also came across a few things in the interior where the X5 lags a little behind its rivals. You will find out which they are in the video.
