2027 BMW X5 Prototype First Drive: Does it Still Feel Like an X5?
Key takeaways
- BMW's bestselling SUV enters a new era with available EV power and major tech upgrades.
- BMW’s first X car, the X5, arrived at the end of the last millennium.
- It’s modified to accommodate either an underfloor battery pack with front and rear motors or the traditional layout.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
BMW's bestselling SUV enters a new era with available EV power and major tech upgrades.
BMW’s first X car, the X5, arrived at the end of the last millennium. That South Carolina–built SUV will enter its fifth generation late this year, and we just drove prototypes of the three powertrains the 2027 BMW X5 will launch with: two 3.0-liter turbo inline-sixes augmented with mild and plug-in hybridization in the 40 and 50e x Drive models, and a fully electric i X5 60 x Drive. Here’s what’s new:
Evolved CLAR (CLuster Architecture)The basic building blocks of the X5’s current MittleKLasse (MKL) CLAR bones are rearranged to stretch the wheelbase 2.4 inches and overall length by 2.6 inches (width and length shrink fractionally). It’s modified to accommodate either an underfloor battery pack with front and rear motors or the traditional layout.