Rediscovering the BMW X5 With a Plug-in Hybrid Version

I Come from that generation of journalists who have been in the automotive beat for a quarter of a century (i.e., old). Age, however, enables me to compare the experiences of a new car with its predecessors—not just the immediate forebear, but even from earlier generations.

- By Manny N. De Los Reyes

Take the BMW X5, for example. Here is a car that completely redefined the Bavarian marque when it came out in 1999. Celebrated for its brilliantly capable sports sedans, BMW stunned the world when it unleashed the X5, propelling the propeller-badged company into the new SUV-driven millennium.

I was fortunate to have been around to test drive the pioneering X5 (E53) when it landed on Philippine shores in late 2000. Likewise the second-gen X5 (E70) when it arrived locally in 2007. I was also lucky to have tested the third-generation X5 (F15) in 2014, with no less than a long touring drive in and around Vancouver, Canada, all the way to Whistler Park (site of the 2010 Ólympic Winter Games). I also got some local track time with an explosively fast third-gen X5 M (F85) at the Clark International Speedway.

And now, I find myself behind the wheel of the plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) version of BMW's fourth-generation X5 (G05). The G05 may have debuted here way back in 2019, but the 2025 model year version has been extensively facelifted and updated, making it feel almost like an all-new model visually and from behind the wheel.

The new X5's refreshed drive system includes a latest-generation plugin hybrid system for the BMW X5 xDrive50e M Sport. It also sports a muscular yet sleek exterior styling that looks unmistakably BMW while remaining its fresh and head-turning.

The iconic BMW kidney grille now comes with an aptly named 'Iconic Glow,' and its cascade lighting creates an eye-catching and brand-typical look.

The vertical air curtains and the lower air intake, complete with decorative trim detail in Pearl-effect Chrome and triangular apertures in its outer areas, also contribute to the cutting-edge aura.