New 2027 BMW X5 Gets Electric, Hydrogen, and 578 HP iX5

BMW is wrapping up development on the next X5, with final calibration drives happening right now around Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina. It is the first BMW production model to cover five different powertrains at once: fully electric, hydrogen fuel cell, plug-in hybrid, petrol, and diesel. Additionally, the new G65 X5 will offer 48V mild hybrid petrol and diesel variants in variou smarkets.

In a teaser press release before its unveil, BMW published some power figures. The BMW the X5 40 xDrive will have 294 kW (400 hp) and 428 lb-ft of torque, the X5 50e xDrive plug-in hybrid is rated at 360 kW (490 hp), and 516 lb-ft of torque, and the iX5 60 xDrive electric at 425 kW (578 hp) and 594 pound-feet of torque. All figures are listed as provisional since the car is still in development. Performance wise, the new X5 40 xDrive runs the 0-62 in 5.4 seconds, the X5 50e xDrive in 5 seconds and the iX5 60 xDrive in 4.7 seconds.

The iX5 Electric: Gen6 eDrive With Cylindrical Cells

The fully electric iX5 is the first of its kind for the popular SUV. Just like all the Neue Klasse models, it uses BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive technology, which moves to an 800V architecture and cylindrical battery cells — the same cell format that Tesla has used for years and that most of the industry is now moving toward. The iX5 60 xDrive carries a 144 kWh usable battery (141 kWh in the EU), which BMW says is the largest high-voltage pack it has put in an all-electric model. Two electric motors handle xDrive all-wheel drive.

The iX5 Hydrogen: 2028, Flat Tanks, No Compromises To Cabin Space

The hydrogen variant is more complicated but also more interesting. It arrives in 2028 as the first hydrogen BMW to go into series production, and BMW has apparently solved the packaging problem that kills most fuel cell vehicles before they reach a customer: where do you put the tanks?

The answer here is a Flat Storage system with seven high-pressure carbon-fiber tanks arranged in parallel inside a metal frame integrated into the floor. BMW says no cabin space is lost, and — more practically — that hydrogen models can share the same production line as other X5 variants. The third-generation fuel cell system is described as more compact and more efficient than what came before, though BMW has not yet published specific power figures.

Heart of Joy and The Neue Klasse Extended Family

The bigger story for driving dynamics may be what BMW is calling the Heart of Joy — the BMW Dynamic Performance Control stack borrowed from Neue Klasse. It runs ten times faster than the previous system, allowing adjustments to the powertrain, brakes, steering sub-functions, and recuperation in milliseconds. In the electric and hydrogen models, this translates to smoother regenerative braking and better energy recovery under deceleration. In the combustion and plug-in hybrid versions, the same hardware runs tenth-generation transverse dynamics management and near-actuator wheel slip limitation.

Adaptive damping is now standard across the entire X5 range, paired with either steel or air springs. Roll stabilization and rear steering remain on the options list. An optional Adaptive Chassis Control Professional package adds two-axle air suspension, Integral Active Steering, and active roll stabilization, available on the iX5 and plug-in hybrid variants. Wheel sizes go up to 23 inches, which is large enough to prompt questions about ride quality on real roads — though with continuously adjustable dampers, BMW clearly expects the suspension tune to compensate.

Level 2 Driver Assistance, Neue Klasse-Sourced

Driver assistance gets a generational upgrade with SAE Level 2 systems from the Neue Klasse technology cluster. The optional Motorway and City Assistant covers motorway Entry-2-Exit guidance and urban Address-2-Address assistance. BMW told us the goal is not to automate as much as possible, but to keep the driver engaged at all times.

The Lane Keeping Assistant is designed to read steering behavior and eye position before intervening, only stepping in when it detects genuine unintentional lane departure. That is a different approach from systems that ping the wheel constantly to remind you they are there.

Other active safety functions include automated evasive maneuvering within the lane, Lane Change Warning, Side Collision Warning with steering input, Crossing Traffic Warning, and automatic braking when turning into traffic or leaving a parking space.

Production start has not been officially dated, but with calibration drives wrapping up at Spartanburg, it is close. Same with the actual reveal of the design.