This current generation BMW X5 could be the best generation of X5 yet. It’s big, it’s good looking, it handles well, and its interior is very comfortable. There’s nothing it does poorly. More importantly, though, is that it has a specific model variant that could be the best X5 of all — the BMW X5 xDrive45e. Proof of that is in its sales.

According to Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), the plug-in hybrid BMW X5 xDrive45e makes up for 47.5 percent of X5 customers. While that’s not even half, it’s actually a massive number.

For starters, that means that a single variant makes up for almost half of a model’s sales, a model that has many different variants, no less. Even more telling is the fact that the X5 xDrive45e is also one of the more expensive variants of the X5 on sale. To put even more emphasis on the importance of the plug-in hybrid’s sales volume is the fact that this percentage comes from Germany, a country that still very much appreciates diesel engines. Make no mistake about it — the BMW X5 xDrive45e reach 47.5 percent of the X5’s market share in Germany is a big deal.

Not only does it prove that German customers are more willing to buy hybrids than ever before but it also proves that the X5 xDrive45e is a great car. Despite being one of the more expensive models in the range, with only the M Performance and true M Division models being more expensive, it’s out-selling its less expensive siblings. When you actually look at the X5 xDrive45e’s combination of performance, range, and efficiency, it’s not hard to see why

Under the hood, the BMW X5 xDrive45e using a 3.0 liter turbocharged I6 engine, combined with an electric motor, to make a total system power output of 389 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. With all that power, the hybrid X5 is capable of 0-60 mph in around five seconds, which is quicker than most hot-hatches. And yet, it can go 31 miles on pure electric range and return almost 50 MPGe when used as a hybrid. It might be expensive but the X5 xDrive45e offers a blend of power and efficiency that’s hard to match. No wonder German customers are loving it.

[Source: BimmerToday]