It's time to take a detailed look and drive the updated BMW X5. Is it actually better than its competitors? And what has changed with this facelift? Let's find out together with Thomas and Autogefühl in 4K, full screen, and full length. Let's go here with the updated BMW double kidney, a massive stance. Yeah, it has become bigger and bigger, but I think that way it still fits to the vehicle. It's not like this mono kidney we know from the iX or something. The X-line would be base now. They lifted the standard equipment. X-line has bright accentuations in the lower part. This is here the optional M Sport Pack. So, we have black accentuations in the sportier styling. And if you would go for the M Sport Package Pro, then also the whole double kidney with frame and the fins here would be all blacked out. But I think that way it looks a little bit more elegant. Updated also with the headlamps, new signature in this arrow styling. And if you activate the turning indicators, then it has this pulsing effect, looks very interesting. Also on the light side new. Before it was only with the X6. Now, also the X5 gets the optional Iconic Glow, the illuminated double kidney. Even while driving, it shines from the top part down then like a light waterfall. The length at 4.94m or 194 inches. That has remained the same. New wheel stylings from 19 to 22-inch. These here are already 21-inch wheels or in this M style, pretty massive. And the M Sport Package here visible at the side and with these black accentuations. Dravit Grey is the color for today actually. As for suspension technology, the adaptive suspension is standard and for most cases this will be totally fine. If you have the M Sport Pack, then this suspension is set a little bit stiffer and you can get it even stiffer, some like that, yeah, in the adaptive M Suspension Professional. That is also combined with more technology like a rear axle differential. You have rear axle steering, anti-tilt control and so on, everything in one pack. However, this rear axle steering you can also get separately like this vehicle has here. And then the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction than the front wheels, three, between three and four degrees, massively reducing the turning circle. And with this facelift here, they did an update that the rear axle steering reacts earlier at very, very slow speeds. Not at standstill like we know from Mercedes. They don't do it here because say it applies too much force to moving parts and it wouldn't be good for long-term durability. But as long as you move really, really slowly when parking in and out, then it reacts earlier now to make it even easier for you for the whole parking process and so on. And then there's the optional air suspension. You would go for that one if you want the wider span between comfort and sportiness. That is standard, by the way, for the plug-in hybrid model. In the rear, the facelift adds new lamp design for the rear LED and it forms this X when you take left and right side together. Overall, very clean rear design. You have the six-cylinder plug-in hybrid here today and then... Fake Exhaust Police, Autogefühl Fake Exhaust Police because the outer tip is fake, real exhaust on the inside. It always depends on the engine and so on. It goes through, but yeah, what's your take on that? And two more differences between the M Sport and the X-Line. In the M Sport pack, we have the wheel arches in vehicle color and also the lower bumper is in vehicle color, whereas in the X-Line, once again, we would have a gray or silver contrast at the rear as well as these more classic off-road plastic wheel arches. And the updated turning indicators or hazard lights also get this pulsing effect now, little bit more spectacular. By the way, sorry for the massive wind here today. You can maybe see it with my hair or with the trees and so on. I hope it's still okay from the sound quality for you. This vehicle is equipped with the M Sport pack, so you also get the M colors at the key fob. Then, vehicle door closing sound. Hmm, that's great. Really solid door closing sound, I like that. Then, inside of the doors, also very well built from the whole interior build quality. This is indeed very convincing. It's also a well-developed vehicle meanwhile. M Sport pack also gets the M steering wheel. That one is not yet available with any leather alternative and you already see these two screens there. New digital cockpit layout, soon more to that. These are the comfort seats. You either have sport seats or comfort seats. The comfort seats are a little bit wider and indeed offer more comfort and this special stitching here is always when it comes with the Sensafin. That is now standard. It's like a very highly elaborated leatherette, so no animal material on the seat and it is really soft and comfortable. So, I can just recommend that. You just have something to gain from that. So, well done. Different colors are available, also bright styling, for example. Then, 1.89m or 6'2", there's a lot of headroom left. You also either have a manual steering control or in this case here, we also have the electric one. So, for tall adults, no problem at all. It's one of the most comfortable SUVs out there, especially here with the comfort seats. Many new vehicles go for cost savings nowadays. This one doesn't. Look at that. Here, we're in this small cubbyhole. This opening folds down this compartment, super soft, dampened, and also when you close it... A very nice resonating closing sound. Interior cockpit overview with this facelift here, pro and con. It looks cleaner. It is cleaner. 12.3-inch, 14.9-inch, curved display, one unit. It looks cool, but you miss the manual climate knobs here for plus and minus. You still have the vent control here, yes, but to control the temperature, you have to plus, minus it here. Hmm, okay, two plus or two minus something. That's interesting English for me. Yeah, whatever. You understood what I meant? For the vent strength, then, you have to go into the climate menu. So, that is the downside to me. However, this BMW OS 8, or to be exact, OS 8.5 it is now, has, for example, an advantage. Apple Maps in Apple CarPlay can also be displayed here on the left side. It would also work with Google Maps here when you have an Android phone and then Google Maps here. When I use Google Maps here... I can also show that to you. Google Maps then here on the right side with CarPlay. That's interesting. Now, I have Google Maps on the right and Apple Maps on the left... Wow, that's an interesting finding for today. Okay, yeah, that's life on Autogefühl. This OS 8.5 has a new home screen. What they, for example, did is they made it easier for you to switch to the CarPlay and so on. Like here, you have different possibilities, different hotkeys. Most actually directs you then to CarPlay or Maps and so on. So, I think that's also what most people are using. And the climate unit here up close is also newly designed. There you can go for the vent strength and change some of the other settings. And seat heating, heated steering wheel is hidden here. What I appreciate, still real buttons at the steering wheel. Also, the volume knob is still manual. Of course, you can also get a head-up display. And look at that, three quarters of the battery is full and 76 kilometers. So, a little bit less than 100 kilometers or 60 miles when the battery is completely full is somewhat realistic. And even more impressive, the overall range then close to a 1000 kilometers or 600 miles when everything is full, fuel and battery. A nice way to reduce high-gloss black is here the carbon fiber deco element. You start this open, cup holders, adaptive, also cooled and heated, that's fancy. And then, the inductive charging pad, yeah, that gets too hot actually because there's no cooling function for that. They did not do that with the facelift. And here in this middle console, you still have this control knob for the infotainment system, but you do not have to use touch. However, this new shifting lever that looks cleaner and is just flatter in the integration has the downside. That doesn't have this typical BMW sporty shifting lever. And if you have the air suspension, you can also manually set the level then here when you, for example, go off-road driving or something or want to lower the car for loading in and out. And you now have the ambient lighting integration right here. That looks pretty fancy. I like that. You can also, of course, change the colors, yeah, whatever you prefer, dim it for night driving or not. I usually have it all the way bright also while driving at night. What do you think about this? Rear compartment, also solid build quality at the rear doors here with soft touch and so on. And then, well, this is one of the drawbacks here. When you think about this X1 review recently again, it has the same legroom like an X1, and you wonder about the package. Yeah, it's because you also can fit so big engines there in the front. However, it is sufficient for five tall adults. So, even here on the middle seat, it works. It's a little bit stiffer than overall, but even height-wise, it's no problem at all. So, it does indeed house five tall adults. The X5, by the way, also offers the third seating row for a seven-seater option. If it makes so much sense in an X5, maybe as emergency seats. However, it's not available for the plug-in hybrid here as for space reasons. Then, you can also fold down this armrest, and then you, for example, have some cup holders here. They're also somewhat adaptive. As for the trunk, special to the X5 is always this split hatch that you have the additional lower hatch, manual cover on top. Well, this lower hatch is cool for picnic sessions here. You can even, you know, sit down together here with two people, so it's no problem as for the weight. The only disadvantage would be for the button here when you stand in front of it, and you can actually hit the button easily with your leg here. So, when you're standing like this, you know, see, I just hit it then with my leg. That can happen unintentionally, and when you then have your picnic equipment all the way distributed here, that might end not so good. But then, it's nice dimensions, over a meter or 40 inches in width, a little bit less than a meter or 40 inches in length, and the height is about 80 centimeters or 30 inches. Folding the seats is not that easy from here. They have removed this electric function, so you have to go around. Yeah, but that is then quite easily done. Then, you have the full length indeed, but overall, very well usable trunk. Also, really nice quality-wise here, this compartment with a gas strut, so that's pretty cool as for the build quality. Here, for example, when you have dogs, this additional net. The difference is that here, the plug-in hybrid has over 500 liters. The non-plug-in hybrid... Pure combustion has 600 liters, but it's just the compartment underneath. Above here, plug-in hybrid and the normal combustion engines are more or less the same, so no compromise, just that you have to put the charging cable in somewhere. If you want to carry it. As for engines, 3-liter inline 6-cylinder petrol and diesel and the 4.4-liter V8 in the M60i. This one here is the 6-cylinder petrol engine. There's also the base for the plug-in hybrid. You can see it here at the orange cable, so everything is electrified. It's always signaled as orange for safety reasons, actually, also when you work on the engine and so on. And this one here, really quick in the acceleration figure, is less than 5 seconds, so 4.8 in the German horsepower figure. That's just half a second slower than the V8 because here you have the combined power of the combustion engine and the electric motor that is integrated in the transmission, by the way, so it won't change the all-wheel drive distribution. When you have an all-wheel drive model, which most X5s are, then it still has a rear wheel bias and even so in the plug-in hybrid. This one here, the biggest update as for the facelift because in general, all the engines are at least mild hybrid now, and when you go for the plug-in hybrid, this one with the bigger battery now, now at 26 kilowatt hours net, that also increases the pure electric range, of course, so up to 100 kilometer or 60 miles, a little bit less depending on the situation then. And recharging, yes, you can always press the M logo for that when you have the M Sportback. 7.4 kilowatt AC, no DC charging, however, in 4.5 hours with that kind of power, it's already full. This plug-in hybrid is also somewhat of a performance version. Let's put it to the sport mode and also sports or S shifting mode, getting the boost from both drive trains, combustion engine, and electric drive. Let's go. That's already 100 kilometers an hour or 60 miles an hour. Wow, impressive. I mean, if you think about it, this is just half a second slower than the V8 and half a second quicker than the pure 3-liter inline six cylinder, and you still have that base engine under the hood, so you can enjoy this inline six cylinder, which is the world famous BMW engine, to me, also one of the best engines out there. When you drive it slowly, not like this, this was an acceleration test, you can also score some 9 liters in 100 kilometer, 28 mpg US, 31 mpg UK, or 26 mpg US, something like that in that region, which is not super low, but definitely okay for this kind of a vehicle. And then, of course, you can always drive pure electric here with the plug-in hybrid with the 50E. This new electric motor has more power, so it's a completely new electric motor. As we've shown to you here, 4.8 seconds is the acceleration figure, and in the sport mode, you're making use of that also with the red background there, so both power trains, and you can also go back to the hybrid mode and also from the S to the D shifting mode, then everything calms down, more silence, and so on. So, usually, we're driving in a normal hybrid mode, and, for example, here, when I hit the brake, combustion engine is shut off, everything electric, everything silent, and because of the good noise insulation here, you can also get the optional insulation packet for that, it's also equipped with that vehicle, it is so super silent here in this vehicle, so when you're standing at the traffic light, it's super windy out there, you heard it earlier, and you hear nothing from that when being on the inside, and this electric driving also fits to this vehicle, so when I'm, you know, like, going through some rural traffic, I just start all electric, you have some kind of electric sound, but it's really drawn back, of course, you also hear it from the outside at really slow speeds, and you can actually, oh, this, you can also drive higher speeds, pure electric, this possible just when you pin down, then, of course, always the combustion engine is being activated. You can also see it in here in the instruments in which area you have to stay that we'd still drive all electric, and if I would exceed that one, then the combustion engine would be turned on. It is equipped with the adaptive recuperation, and that means when there's no one in front of me, and I leave my foot off the throttle, the car is just rolling, no recuperation at all. If there is a car in front of me, then, and, you know, and like this, and now this is actually fine, but if there's a car in front of me, and this is too close, or here now, the car will decelerate, the speed limit changes, then you can see I lift my throttle, lift my foot off the throttle, and then here, there's adaptive recuperation, so then you don't have to adjust the recuperation level, the car is doing that for you automatically. There's always pro and con arguing that. The con is it's not that predictable. The pro is you don't have to care about recuperation levels, and it's, in a way, a relaxing feature because you don't have to use regenerative braking, you're just rolling, and when it makes sense, then it almost acts like an adaptive cruise control when there's a car in front of you even without you having set it. So, I think, overall, it's a very intelligent feature to have, and you can see here, even some quick acceleration, pure electric is possible, and you even feel the gear shifts. That is unusual for electric car driving feeling, but the reason is that it sits in the transmission. That's the reason why you also feel the gear shifts, actually, and as the hybrid mode is laid out, most of the time, you will first use all the electric drive, and when that's one that is depleted, then you will also use the combustion engine, unless you have these power moments, and why are they doing that? That the combustion engine gets activated at some point when you pin it down is basically a safety thing. So, for example, I'm getting onto the German autobahn, and I see, oh, I need some more acceleration to get on that quicker and in a more safe way. Then, it's actually making sense that I get the combustion engine power when I just pin it down in this panic moment, and then, it's actually safer if I enter the motorway quicker or maybe do like an overtaking maneuver, and that's the reason why most manufacturers have this philosophy that, actually, it's always available, but it's really fun to drive it also electric. It does fit to the vehicle. Suspension, you will be fine with the normal adaptive suspension if you have a base X5 without being the plug-in hybrid. The adaptive suspension by BMW is great, and it's more than enough. I would also not pick it in the sporty trim. Here, the air suspension is standard for the plug-in hybrid because of the added weight by the battery, and that's why they said to keep the level of the suspension of the vehicle. It's better when there's also the air suspension support, and at the same time, of course, with the air suspension, it gets a little bit stiffer than also in the sport mode, a little bit softer in the comfort mode, so you have more variety when you have an air suspension, but it's not, I would say, it is a needed feature in the BMW X5 because the adaptive suspension is so good already. Does it feel like a floaty air suspension? I would say no. It's rather set on a sporty note, so when I'm driving it now, and someone would tell me, hey, it's a good adaptive suspension, and it's no air suspension, I couldn't deny that, you know, so it doesn't feel so floaty air suspension-like, but it feels really good considering we have 21-inch wheels on that one. It's a very comfortable ride indeed, and most of the time, you will leave it in the normal hybrid driving mode. Seats here also, long-term comfort is excellent. Here, once again, the combination, the Sensafin, high grade leatherette, with the comfort seat, the comfort seat will give you more comfort, especially in the US, for example, it has a higher take rate than the base sport seat. In Germany, the sport seat take rate is a little bit higher. Yeah, you know, some Germans like it stiffer. So, now, German motorway here, once again, just over 100 kilometers an hour, 60 miles an hour, now we can drive a little bit quicker, super silent, very well insulated, so you almost feel like you would be rather in a low-seating sedan as for the noise or NVH comfort. That's also one thing I really like about the X5. You can go miles and miles and miles without getting lower back fatigue or something, and it's still fun, and it's also still sporty. We can do some lane change here to the right, for example. It's really nice. I feel the steering feel is also good, and strangely, the steering feel in the bigger BMW SUVs is better than in a lot of their sporty vehicles, and I still wonder why is that. I have no idea. So, the X5 has one of the best steering feels in the BMW model portfolio. Should be the other way around. I mean, it should also be good, you know, or all should be good, but, yeah, strangely that this is the case then here. By the way, are we still driving electric? No. We can see that here in that, you know, the power meter. Let's drop it a little bit. Let's see when it does switch back to electric again. There we are. So, here. So, we would drive 125, 125 kilometers an hour, and if I go a little bit quicker, let's see here. Yeah, now the combustion engine is on. So, around 130 kilometers an hour, that's like 70, 80 miles an hour. That is then the threshold for the pure electric driving, and, of course, we can drive even quicker, and, you know, unlimited speed on the German Autobahn. Let's see. Wow, it's still so silent in here. Can't believe that. 170 kilometers an hour, and super stable also on the road, and it doesn't feel like a high, floaty, big SUV. It feels like a sport sedan comparing, of course, only if you go to some very narrow corners with high speed, then, of course, you can't deny the fact. The Porsche Cayenne will still be sportier in a way, especially moving through the corners. So, in sportiness, this one doesn't attack the Cayenne, mainly the high-end M versions then, of course. As for the Audi, it has also a nice, sporty, balanced driving feeling for sure. The BMW X5 feels a little bit more sophisticated as for the luxurious features. The Mercedes GLE, that is, meanwhile, the thing is still a nice, very, very vehicle, definitely, but also here the X5 feels like it would be so much more premium than the Mercedes GLE. I really have to say that, especially while driving, the X5 gives you a very sophisticated feeling, and I wouldn't even necessarily go for an X7. They are sharing the same platform. The X7 makes sense for you if you need more space in the back there and making use of the third seating row, for example. There is also a third seating row available for the X5, but I don't think it's that necessary, and, yeah, I'm just keeping on my moderation so easily while I'm driving 160 kilometers an hour, so, like, 100 miles per hour, and it's just so effortless. Here with the upgrade, the facelift upgrade, mild hybrid technology for the normal combustion engines does give you some advantages as for the consumption, but not the super game-changer. Here for the plug-in hybrid, of course, one thing we saw initially, just more power from that electric motor, and the other thing is then the upgraded battery, more size, and then, yeah, we can really score some good range figures, pure electric, and also together with the combustion engine, so, to me, one big advantage of the plug-in hybrid is also this combined range that you just have. Is this here? Okay. There's a nice saying in Germany, especially, like, the area where I'm from, where, you know, like, has some coal mining background, and people used to be, let's say, some, you know, very straightforward people, you know, living there, and then in situations like these, you would say, like, Alter, das ist kein Parkplatz hier! Or, like, hey, dude, this is not a parking lot. So, you know, referring to that you don't drive so fast on the parking lot, of course. This is still a German Autobahn. You know, you don't have to race, but at least you should then pull over to the right when you don't want to drive that fast. Of course, the most important thing is always to keep distance to the car in front of you. Then, you can also drive fast. The assistance systems, flawless. I mean, look at that. You have the lane-keeping assist, the active one, really no hectic movement, but keeps the lane and also really centralized and just slight movements from the steering wheel. Cruise control, of course, keeps the distance in the car in front of you. Yes, it's also done by the adaptive recuperation assistant, here in that case with the X550e, the plug-in hybrid, and then there's also the active lane changing, and you induce that by hitting and turning it here. It's just like tipping it, like this, and then you can see here, the car does it itself and gets in the lane, and then the lane change is done. You might also ask yourself, why would you let the car do this? Here, by the way, there's someone behind me. Then, I have to do it myself because the car says, hey, that's not enough distance for me, and I also have this vibration in the steering wheel, and the car was not changing the lane because there was someone approaching from the rear. So, actually, very well thought out, very elaborated assistance systems. Also, you feel that this car has been built for a couple of years, and with this facelift, they try to, you know, perfectionize it even more and more. Exterior-wise, I like the changes. I'm also totally fine with the pre-facelift. Interior, it's definitely pro and con. The infotainment system looks cleaner, and it is significantly quicker, so it is the better software. On the other hand, you lose the manual climate knobs, and it's a little bit more complex, so that's definitely pro and con. My favorite are the seats here, especially the ones we had here today, the comfort seats with the Sensafin, this combination, among the most comfortable seats overall in the industry. Driving-wise, as flawless as ever, as we can expect from the X5. The plug-in hybrid, especially now, even more upgraded with this higher electric range. So, indeed, if you compare it to the competitors, Mercedes GLE, Audi Q8, and so on, I think the X5 is, at that moment, one of the best picks you have, especially also, recent Consumer Reports rankings, that BMW is very good in the reliability score, just behind Toyota and Lexus, and, you know, people have been saying, yeah, you know, their money pits and so on, they're not reliable, they drive great, but they're not reliable, but it seems that BMW stepped up the game also as for the reliability, whereas other German manufacturers went down there a little bit in the reliability rankings. So, that's also a very important factor to consider, of course. If you want to see more about the X5 facelift, more color and trim, tune into this video or what about the X6 facelift.
