2027 BMW X5 Revealed: The Luxury SUV, Reinvented

With over 3.1 million units sold since its 1999 launch, the X5 has given BMW a license to print money. Built in Spartanburg, the luxury SUV has evolved significantly from the early E53 era to the outgoing G05. However, the generational shift has never been as radical as it is now with the new G65. The fifth iteration of BMW’s original X model introduces sweeping changes that make it look as if it skipped a generation.

The new X5 fully embraces the Neue Klasse aesthetic we first saw on the iX3, but with a few twists. While it largely carries over the design language of the smaller crossover, several key details set it apart. The long-rumored double “X” motif embedded in the headlights is very much real and immediately sets the X5 apart from the rest of BMW’s sprawling SUV lineup. Too glitzy? You can turn it off.

The slender grille with vertical kidneys makes the X5 look modern, yet it harks back to BMWs of yore. BMW reserves this look for SUVs, as cars like the i3 sedan adopt a horizontal grille that merges with the headlights. In keeping with the Neue Klasse approach, illuminated strips are integrated into the grille, including a separate design that references the famous M stripes and the “M” badge reserved for M Performance models.

The air intakes to cool the engine sit below the grille, while the iX5’s open section is underneath the license plate. At launch, the most aggressive-looking version is the X5 M60e. The sporty plug-in hybrid gets beefier bumpers and the double-X theme highlighted in yellow. It’s a nod to BMW’s motorsport heritage and a design trait reserved for M Performance and M models.

The BMW Winglets Clean Up The Profile

Moving to the side, the door handles are no longer where you’d expect them. The BMW Winglets are cleverly integrated into the beltline to clean up the profile, helping create smoother door surfaces than before. It’s part of the Neue Klasse philosophy of reducing visual clutter that has increasingly affected modern vehicle design. Buyers can pair the BMW Winglets with optional automatic doors, which are making their debut on an SUV.

Once again, the M Performance version stands out with several notable tweaks. It features a new mirror design with M stripes, first seen on the M760e facelift earlier this year. An M badge on the lower section of the front doors is a subtle-but-clear visual identifier of a hotter derivative. For the first time in the model’s history, stately 23-inch wheels make the X5 even more imposing.

The rear design has undergone a historic transformation. Yes, the rumors were true: BMW has deleted the split tailgate in favor of a one-piece setup, like the vast majority of SUVs. The reason behind the change remains unclear, and we will follow up with Munich to understand what prompted the switch, given that all four previous generations featured a split-opening tailgate.

Wide Taillights With M-Specific Graphics

Elsewhere, the redesigned taillights stretch across nearly the entire width of the rear, bisected by the updated BMW roundel. Eagle-eyed observers will notice slightly different graphics on the M Performance version, which already benefits from a stronger visual presence thanks to its quad exhaust system. The X5 M60e is the only version at launch with visible exhaust tips. The V8-powered M Performance model will follow in 2027.

The interior also marks a clean-sheet redesign with the introduction of iDrive X. BMW’s latest infotainment system dramatically reshapes the dashboard layout. A 17.9-inch central touchscreen now dominates the cabin. It can’t be controlled via the traditional iDrive knob, as the rotary controller has been removed. Next to the main display sits an optional 14.6-inch passenger screen carried over from the 7 Series, where it comes as standard.

BMW is also eliminating the digital driver’s display in favor of Panoramic Vision, marketing jargon for a windshield projection system. It stretches from pillar to pillar and features three fixed widgets in the driver’s line of sight. Six customizable tiles sit to the right. Owners can drag and drop preferred content from the main screen into the upper windshield display area.

The 2027 BMW Gets An All-New Interior

The Neue Klasse philosophy of reduction continues inside. Alongside the removal of the iDrive controller, BMW is replacing physical air vent adjustment toggles with digital controls through the touchscreen. Doing so echoes the iX, which pioneered this approach in the early 2020s. By the way, the iX5 is essentially an iX successor since there won’t be a second generation of the polarizing electric SUV.

Not everything is fully digital, however. Physical buttons remain on the steering wheel, the driver’s door, and between the seats. Still, the minimalist direction is clear, especially with the disappearance of the third-row option. Going forward, BMW will sell the X5 exclusively as a two-row SUV, meaning buyers needing six or seven seats will have to step up to the X7. The larger SUV is also preparing for a generational change, with official confirmation that the G67 will debut in 2027. A luxed-up ALPINA G69 is also on the way, though it may have only two rows.

While the exterior and interior design focus on reduction, BMW is moving in the opposite direction with powertrain variety. For the first time in a production model bearing the roundel, a single nameplate will offer five propulsion types: gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, electric, and hydrogen.

The BMW X5 G65 Has Five Types Of Powertrains

The six-cylinder models are expected to remain the bread and butter of sales, but the iX5 could attract strong demand. It features the largest battery of any electric BMW to date, with a usable energy capacity of 141 kWh in Europe and 144 kWh in the United States. It is the same pack, measured differently across regions. This also makes the iX5 60 xDrive BMW’s heaviest production vehicle, weighing 2,825 kilograms (6,228 pounds) in European specification without a driver.

The iX5 60 xDrive targets up to 525 miles (845 km) of range under the WLTP cycle. In EPA testing, it is expected to deliver around 435 miles (700 km) before depletion. With peak charging power of 460 kW, the battery can be replenished from 10 to 80 percent in just 22 minutes. In a hurry, it can recover 170 miles (274 km) of range in 10 minutes, according to BMW’s estimates.

The electric X5 is a dual-motor model with 570 hp and 593 lb-ft (805 Nm) sent to all four wheels. Despite its weight, it can still accelerate from 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) in 4.6 seconds. BMW electronically caps the top speed to 130 mph (210 km/h).

For those sticking with the tried-and-tested B58 engine, the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six powers the 40 and 40 xDrive variants. Engineers boost power and torque, but they detune the B57 diesel. As noted separately, the six-cylinder diesel is weaker than before.

The gasoline version produces 394 hp and 428 lb-ft (580 Nm) in the U.S., up by 19 hp and 45 lb-ft (61 Nm) compared to its predecessor. The European version matches horsepower but is lower on torque at 398 lb-ft (540 Nm). While U.S. buyers can choose between rear- and all-wheel drive, European customers receive only xDrive variants.

Between combustion and full electric, BMW offers two plug-in hybrids, both exclusively with xDrive. The entry-level 50e xDrive delivers 483 hp and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) from a combination of an inline-six gas engine and an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission. A 26.5-kWh battery enables an estimated 44 miles (71 km) of electric range in EPA testing. The more optimistic WLTP figures rise to 63 miles (102 km).

The X5 M60e xDrive is the flagship at launch, producing 603 hp and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) and sprinting to 62 mph (100 km/h) in about 4.5 seconds. Despite its performance focus, it nearly matches the lesser plug-in hybrid’s electric range of 61 miles (98 km).

BMW will launch the hydrogen version later in the life cycle, so it’s staying tight-lipped about specifications. However, the iX5 Hydrogen will offer 466 miles (750 km) of range from a fuel cell co-developed with Toyota. Its name might be iX5 60h xDrive, though this is not confirmed. What we do know is that refueling will take less than five minutes, so comparable to a combustion-engine version.

There is something for everyone, but not everything arrives at once or in all markets. BMW prioritizes combustion-engine variants for the X5’s market launch on November 28. The plug-in hybrids and the iX5 will follow on March 6, 2027. The hydrogen version arrives later, possibly in 2028.

2027 BMW X5 Prices

In Germany, pricing is as follows:

• X5 40 xDrive €98,800;
• X5 40d xDrive €94,800;
• iX5 60 xDrive €102,800;
• X5 50e xDrive €102,800;
• X5 M60e xDrive €125,000.

BMW is already taking orders for gasoline and diesel models, with plug-in hybrids and the iX5 opening on October 8.

In the United States, the 2027 BMW X5 starts at $71,250 for the rear-wheel-drive X5 40, including destination and handling fees. The X5 40 xDrive follows at $73,550, then the X5 50e xDrive at $78,950. The electric iX5 60 xDrive starts at $81,250, making it the most expensive variant at launch. The X5 M60e is not offered in the U.S., though an M Performance V8 model is expected in 2027, possibly badged X5 M60. An electric M Performance iX5 is also planned.

Production at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in South Carolina begins in August for gasoline and diesel models. In December, plug-in hybrids and the iX5 will join the same assembly line.