Mean Machine

The new BMW X5xDrive 30d is perfect not just to negotiate city roads but to strut your stuff on the highway too

- Chumki Bharadwaj

As confessions go, the last time I drove an SUV, it was a Hummer, which I drove down a 100 foot high dune in the Arabian desert. Naturally, I figured, no sequel could ever do justice or fill its gigantic shoes, well, at least in the SUV department. Although technically, BMW brands its X5 as a Sports Activity Vehicle, the all new X5xDrive30d is a valiant follow-on. Not just in terms of its on-road ability that comes as a pleasant surprise given this buffed-up version that carries almost two tonnes in weight, but also without compromising on its sportiness.