BMW introduced the 2024 X5 M in the second half of February and yet we’ve rarely had the opportunity to talk about the updated high-performance SUV since then. Our new exclusive video allows us to take you on a thorough tour of the facelifted model, which is being sold strictly as a Competition model. The LCI is presented here in Black Sapphire Metallic with dark 21-inch front and 22-inch rear wheels featuring an M Star-spoke design and contrasted by the red calipers of the M Compound brakes.

The carbon fiber side mirror caps blend nicely with the car’s sinister appearance, now with a redesigned kidney grille featuring horizontal slats and a black contour. With the Life Cycle Impulse, BMW has made the headlights slightly slimmer (-35 mm) while incorporating arrow-shaped daytime running lights pointing outward. As seen in other recent models, the laser lights have made way for an adaptive matrix LED setup with a non-dazzling high beam.

Photos by instagram.com/lucasjohnsonvisuals and instagram.com/autohausbmw/

Rounding off the changes on the outside are the revised taillight graphics lending the X5 M’s rear end a more modern look without making significant changes. The real revolution is inside where the iDrive 8 calls home with its two large screens, a 12.3-inch display for the driver and a 14.9-inch touchscreen. The latter comes along with a simplified center console with fewer controls since most of the functions are now accessible only through the big display.

This 2024 BMW X5 M Competition has the black Extended Merino Leather upholstery and a carbon fiber trim, not to mention the optional panoramic Sky Lounge LED roof. One subtle change on the inside implemented with the mid-cycle update is the ambient light bar on the passenger side of the dashboard. It boasts the M letter on the X5 M whereas the lesser ones get an X instead.

As standard, the X5 M now gets Extended Shadowline Trim and M Shadowline Lights as standard equipment in the United States, lending this Sapphire Black build a menacing appearance. Under the hood is the new S68 engine, a mild-hybrid 4.4-liter V8 shared with the XM. In this application, it packs 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet sent to the xDrive system via an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission featuring an integrated electric motor good for an extra 12 hp and 147 lb-ft.

Production of the 2024 X5 M Competition started in April at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina. Before options and taxes, the speedy SUV costs $122,300.