motoring
The new BMW X5 reviewed
When BMW launched its X5 eight years ago, I did the unthinkable – I fell in love with a 4x4. It ticked all my boxes – it was stylish, luxurious, powerful and, best of all, handled like a sportscar.
With its arrival, the SAV (sports activity vehicle) market was born and the likes of Range Rover, Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz quickly cashed in.
A few tweaks here and there were needed in 2003 to keep the X5 on the money but, as from next month, an all-new model will be sparkling in showrooms across the country.
The big news for this larger car is that it’s grown a second set of rear seats so it can now carry seven people, in response to customer demand. In fact, BMW cares so much about its buyers that a group of children were consulted in the design of these kiddie-perfect back seats. The manufacturer didn’t care quite enough though, and charges £1,320 for them.
Helping Mummy or Daddy up front are so many electronic gadgets that the car is qualified to drive itself. Adaptive Drive, Active Steering, Head-up Display, xDrive, Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Traction Control, Cornering Brake Control, Park Distance Control, Hill-start Assist, Brake Pre-tensioning, Brake Fade Compensation, Brake Drying…
Brake Drying?! I hate gadgets. Anything that gives the car more control than the driver is a no-go in my book, so it was with trepidation that I took the key to a range-topping 4.8i S, that’ll give you £20 change from £50,000.
The new model may be fatter in all dimensions than its predecessor but, just like Rocky Balboa over the years, its shape remains honed with good proportions all round.
The 355bhp V8 engine packs a mean punch too – 60mph arrives in 6.5 seconds and it’s good for 150mph; impressive for a hunk of metal that weighs as much as two Ford Fiestas, but let’s not forget there are X5 rivals that boast 500bhp +.
Bury the throttle from a standstill and just hang on. The first three gears of the all-new 6-speed automatic box are used and abused in rapid succession, and the V8 never stops growling. It’s not a throaty growl of, say, a TVR, but it’s still good to hear and it’s a great engine that’s strong through all the revs.
The new BMW X5
With those rising revs there’s rising fuel consumption. The official combined figure is 22.6mpg and I know double figures would be hard to maintain if I owned one. It’s too tempting not to give it a burst of power now and again. And again. The lesser-powered £40,120 3.0-litre diesel will manage a more socially-acceptable 32.5mpg.
Making an unfortunately large carbon footprint myself, I drove the car where it is built in South Carolina, USA, where the 55mph speed limit wasn’t conducive to my sort of fun. BMW’s nearby test track however, was.
I tyre-squealed my way round the twisty track until my neck and shoulders ached. The electronics of the car’s four-wheel-drive system (xDrive) and the Dynamic Stability Control Plus work together to optimise the power going to each of the 18-inch wheels. And, with the taste of humble pie in my mouth, I have to say it worked brilliantly. I even drove the car at 40mph round and round BMW’s wet handling circle to get the back tyres to break traction, but the electronics were too smart to oblige in such tomfoolery. My only gripe after my session is that the gearbox kick-down can be a bit too eager on occasions.
" with the taste of humble pie in my mouth, I have to say it worked brilliantly "
The steering is also packed with technology but this does nothing to lessen the precision and feel, and the electronics in the braking system impressed me the most, making every stop powerful, short but incredibly smooth.
And what of this 4x4’s off-road abilities? They’re good, but few will ever find out.
The BMW X5 goes on sale in the UK on April 28.
Stay tuned for more of Vicki Butler-Henderson coming soon on Virgin Media.
28th February 2007
