SCOOP ALL-NEW BMW X5

REVEALED Next-generation SUV will feature Neue Klasse styling cues, latest tech and wide choice of powertrains

- Richard Ingram

THE X5 laid a lot of the groundwork for the modern SUV when it launched in 1999. More than 25 years later we still think it's one of the strongest models in BMW's lineup. With the next-generation Neue Klasse cars - including the iX3 and 3 Series - set to be revealed soon, the larger X5 is waiting in the wings.

Planned to be offered with internal-combustion, plugin hybrid, electric and possibly hydrogen powertrains, the new model will give buyers plenty of choice. XDrive all-wheel drive will feature prominently across the range, possibly even as standard.

Recent spy shots of the X5 testing at the Nürburgring suggest that the big SUV should lose none of its appeal for keen drivers - possibly even narrowing the gap to, say, the Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport. We expect a mid-2026 reveal, with the first customer deliveries in early '27.

Despite BMW going all-in on its Neue Klasse architecture, which will underpin many new models including the iX3 due for launch at September's Munich Motor Show, the X5 will keep its multi-fuel CLAR platform. While the outgoing X5 isn't offered as an EV, its underpinnings support this tech; the current 5 Series comes with petrol, PHEV and electric powertrains, and the X5 is expected to follow suit.

BMW is largely phasing out diesel in the UK, yet we expect the X5 to still be offered with its 30d and 40d units. A spokesperson said the maker's “technologically open” approach means “if the market wants diesel, [BMW] can provide it”. While the 5 Series doesn't get a diesel engine in the UK, the latest X3 does - and the X5 should follow its SUV stablemate.