The New X5’s BMW Winglets Hide The Door Handles In Plain Sight

If you were worried the fifth-generation X5 would end up looking like an iX3 scaled up to 125%, we can safely say it doesn’t. Even the profile is substantially different from the smaller electric crossover after ditching the flush door handles. The new design already looks familiar because we’ve seen it before. The 2024 Skytop and 2025 Speedtop introduced these so-called BMW Winglets, but there are some changes.

While the M8-based exclusive models both featured a two-door layout, the new X5 obviously retains its rear doors. The BMW Winglets extend to the back, neatly integrated into the beltline at the B- and C-pillars. BMW paints them in gloss black to blend with the surrounding trim, evoking the look of the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

As for what prompted the change, it all comes down to the Neue Klasse design language, which favors smoother surfaces. We have to say the profile looks much cleaner thanks to the uninterrupted door design, with its uncluttered appearance further enhanced by hidden window seals. On top of that, the new X5 comes with soft-close doors as standard equipment.

How To Use The BMW Winglets

How do you use the BMW Winglets? All it takes is a light touch on the winglet to open the door and a gentle press to close it. Holding your finger on the front locking surface for about a second will, yes, you guessed it, lock the doors. You won’t have any trouble finding the handles at night since the winglets are illuminated. And just like in the 7 Series flagship sedan, automatic doors are now available as an option.

We’ll be seeing more of these BMW Winglets in the near future. At least one more model will utilize the same setup: the second-generation X7 (G67), arriving in 2027. Spy photos have already shown the full-size luxury SUV wearing the new door handle design. While car paparazzi have yet to catch the next X6 (G66), due in 2028, an educated guess suggests it will use the same layout.

BMW has been working on these tiny door handles since the Vision Neue Klasse X. That concept previewed the new iX3, but the production model ultimately went in a different direction, adopting flush door handles. Not everywhere, though, as the long-wheelbase version for China features a familiar semi-enclosed design to comply with a new safety regulation that essentially bans pop-out handles.

BMW Winglets: Legal In China?

It remains to be seen whether the long-wheelbase X5 (G78) will also need to undergo changes to comply with new Chinese legislation. The stretched version could debut before the end of this year, ahead of its 2027 market launch. We don’t expect facelifted BMW models to adopt the Winglets because doing so would require entirely new doors, a change that would likely be too expensive for an LCI. It would also probably be cost-prohibitive to offer customers a choice between conventional door handles and these upper-mounted winglets.

It’s unclear whether the BMW Winglets will remain exclusive to SUVs or come to other body styles. While they certainly give the X5 a cleaner profile, some would argue they’re just another feature that could go wrong. In the meantime, we’re going to trust that Munich has put enough engineering effort into ensuring they won’t fail.