Renowned worldwide for their high performance luxury cars, the German manufacturer BMW has never been known for Crossover or Sports Utility vehicles before the launch of the X5 in 1999. The production for the BMW X5 took place at the BMW US Manufacturing Company facility, located in South Carolina, which is the only place where most BMW SUVs are built. Interestingly, rather than labeling the X5 as a regular mid-size SUV, the manufacturer described it as a Sports Activity Vehicle. Technically speaking, Sports Activity Vehicles (SAVs) are not a separate category of automobiles, but refer to the range of crossover models that are manufactured by BMW. Other vehicles in the SAV category include the X1, X2, X4, X5, X6 and X7 that are all manufactured by BMW at the South Carolina Assembly plant. The BMW X5 spawned a total of 4 generations, with the latest X5 set for its launch this year. Before the next generation variant is launched in early 2016, let us take a brief look at the X5’s history and its past generation models.
BMW E53 - 1999
The first generation X5 E53 was developed using technology from Land Rover vehicles. BMW had been a co-owner of the Rover brand till it was acquired by the Indian automobile giants Tata Motors in 2011. Using several components from the Range Rover L22, the E53 Crossover was presented in 1999 and was produced in 3 engine variants. As most of the vehicle components were shared with several other BMW cars, it also allowed for some easy upgradations resulting in the X5s popularity. With its launch, the X5 E53 merged the aesthetics of a luxury road vehicle and provided it with some decent off-road capabilities. It was also presented with several borrowed features from Land Rover vehicles such as the Off-Road Engine Management and Hill Descent. It was also provided with a facelift in 2003, and the powerful 4.4i and 4.8is line of engines by BMW. The E53 was finally retired by BMW in 2006, when it was replaced by the BMW X5 E70.
BMW E70 - 2006
The X5 Sports Activity Vehicle saw its second generation in 2006 with several updated features and 3 engine variants including a 3.3-litre straight-6 engine apart from the 4.4i and 4.8is. Like its precursor, the X5 E70 also featured a signature BMW xDrive system for 4x4 vehicles and was further improved by the manufacturers to boost its off-roading capabilities and handling. The E70 also featured a highly advanced electronically controlled gearstick and also added a third row seat to make room for 7 passengers. It also spawned a high performance variant branded as the ‘X5 M’ that made its debut in 2009 at the New York Autoshow. The high performance E70 was supplied with a massive M Power Turbo V8 engine that was controlled by an 8-speed automatic transmission borrowed straight from the BMW 7 series. The X5 also made use of a special ‘Head’s Up’ display that projected any critical information, right on the windscreen. The X5 M was produced commercially between 2010 and 2013 before the X5 mantle was handed over to the BMW F15.
BMW F15
Making its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, the X5 F15 model was also one of the first BMW crossovers to receive a Hybrid variant. It was released three engine variants for both gasoline and diesel types and was presented with a standard 8-speed automatic transmission. Although the exteriors of the X5 F15 didn’t seem much changes during its initial launch its BMW signature AWD (all-wheel-drive) system was further improved by the manufacturers. The new 20-inch alloy wheels also came as standard across all variants with tonnes of new safety features such as Anti-lock braking system, Xenon headlamps and panoramic sunroof. The 2014 X5 M variant added a V8 engine to the vehicle making it the most powerful 4x4 in BMW’s fleet. It was also presented with a Hybrid drivetrain in 2015.
Although the dates for the 4th generation X5 has not been officially announced by the German automakers, it will be sometime in early 2016. Although not much has been changed in the X5 in all these years, doesn’t mean that it is any less of a Sports Utility Vehicle with its powerful drivetrains and superb handling that BMW cars are known for.
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