Article Summary
- The BMW iX5 60 xDrive will carry a 147.8 kWh gross battery — the largest ever fitted to a BMW by a wide margin.
- Its dual-motor all-wheel-drive system produces 577 PS and over 800 Nm, with 800-volt charging and a cell-to-pack battery design.
- BMW will debut the new iX5 this summer with production beginning in August at the Spartanburg Plant.
Auto Motor und Sport has spotted some documents for the upcoming model year, containing technical data for the upcoming BMW iX5 electric SUV. According to them, the BMW iX5 60 xDrive — the electric version of the next-generation X5 — will arrive later this year with a massive battery pack: a gross battery capacity of 147.8 kWh. Strip out the buffer BMW applies across its range — roughly four percent — and you get an estimated usable figure around 142 kWh (a number which can also vary by market based on how it’s measure).
Nothing in BMW’s current lineup comes close. It also sits among the largest packs in any passenger car on sale right now. Even accounting for the bigger body and extra weight, the iX5 could plausibly crack 1,000 km of WLTP range. The report also points out that BMW is using 960 cylindrical cells at around 704 volts nominal, with a capacity of 210 ampere-hours per cell — the maths checks out to 147.8 kWh. Of course, we won’t know the EPA-rated range until later this year, but we certainly expect at least 500 miles of range from the massive battery pack.
Also keep in mind that upcoming BMW iX5 rides on the CLAR platform — the same architecture that underpins the current diesel, petrol, and plug-in hybrid X5. BMW is putting cell-to-pack packaging and 800-volt charging into a platform never designed as EV-only. So it remains to be seen what the overall efficiency of the car will be. For reference, the iX3 50 xDrive manages around 434 miles( EPA) / 800 km (WLTP) with a smaller pack and a smaller body.
The Powertrain Numbers
The 2027 BMW iX5 60 xDrive allegedly runs dual motors: 184 kW at the front, 240 kW at the rear, for a combined 424 kW (577 PS). Torque splits 305 Nm to the front and 500 Nm to the rear, system total above 800 Nm. Naturally, more powerful electric variants of the G65 X5 are expected in the future, including a top range iX5 M70. BMW has yet to confirm any of these power numbers.
Previous reports also pointed to an increased size of the the new X5 which will be slightly longer. Overall length is said to increase by 59 millimeters (2.3 inches) to 4994 mm (196.6 in). At the same time, height drops by 14 mm (0.5 in) to 1751 mm (68.9 in). The fifth generation of Munich’s original SUV is also believed to be slightly narrower. Without mirrors, the width is decreasing by 4 mm (0.1 in) to exactly 2000 mm (78.7 in).
We’re expecting roomier rear seats following a 60 mm (2.36 in) wheelbase stretch. That would put the distance between the axles at 3035 mm (119.4 in). Nevertheless, it still wouldn’t match the X5 Li (G18) sold in China, where the wheelbase measures an X7-matching 3105 mm (122.2 in). Although the X5’s overall height is dropping slightly, ground clearance is said to increase by 12 mm (0.5 in) to 226 mm (8.9 in). None of these figures were confirmed by BMW at this point.
Debut This Summer
Production at Spartanburg kicks off in August with the 40 xDrive and 40d xDrive leading the charge, followed by the rear-wheel-drive 40 shortly after. By year’s end, the plant should also be turning out the 50e xDrive, M60e xDrive, and iX5 60 xDrive. The lineup could grow into 2027 with the M60 xDrive, iX5 50 xDrive, and iX5 M70 xDrive. Anyone waiting for the V8 or full-electric X5 M will need to hold out until 2028.
