BMW Brings I Series PHEV Tech To X5 XDrive40e

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

Having experimented with its i Series, BMW is bringing over its PHEV technology to its core collection, beginning with the X5 xDrive40e.

Power for the PHEV crossover comes from a 2-liter four-cylinder using BMW’s TwinPower Turbo system paired with a synchronous electric motor integrated into the crossover’s eight-speed automatic. A combined 313 horses and 332 lb-ft of torque are sent to all corners, helping to push the X5 from nil to 62 in 6.8 seconds. Top speed is limited to 130 mph, 75 mph in electric-only mode. Range is 19 miles on its 9-kWh lithium-ion pack.

Said pack reduces cargo space to 17.65 cubic feet with the rear seats up, 60.7 cubic feet with the seats down. The pack can be charged at home with the same charging units used by i3 and i8 owners, as well as through brake regeneration and at public charging stations.

Other features include an M Sport package, adaptive suspension, and bespoke offerings from BMW Individual.

No word on pricing or availability thus far, but European customers will be able to get theirs in the fall.







Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • DeeDub DeeDub on Mar 17, 2015

    X5xDrive40e. No, really: X5xDrive40e.

  • Corey Lewis Corey Lewis on Mar 17, 2015

    Is it just me or is the X5 getting really old looking these days? I feel like it needs a complete re-do, as it's got to still be on that late 90s platform.

  • Kjhkjlhkjhkljh kljhjkhjklhkjh A prelude is a bad idea. There is already Acura with all the weird sport trims. This will not make back it's R&D money.
  • Analoggrotto I don't see a red car here, how blazing stupid are you people?
  • Redapple2 Love the wheels
  • Redapple2 Good luck to them. They used to make great cars. 510. 240Z, Sentra SE-R. Maxima. Frontier.
  • Joe65688619 Under Ghosn they went through the same short-term bottom-line thinking that GM did in the 80s/90s, and they have not recovered say, to their heyday in the 50s and 60s in terms of market share and innovation. Poor design decisions (a CVT in their front-wheel drive "4-Door Sports Car", model overlap in a poorly performing segment (they never needed the Altima AND the Maxima...what they needed was one vehicle with different drivetrain, including hybrid, to compete with the Accord/Camry, and decontenting their vehicles: My 2012 QX56 (I know, not a Nissan, but the same holds for the Armada) had power rear windows in the cargo area that could vent, a glass hatch on the back door that could be opened separate from the whole liftgate (in such a tall vehicle, kinda essential if you have it in a garage and want to load the trunk without having to open the garage door to make room for the lift gate), a nice driver's side folding armrest, and a few other quality-of-life details absent from my 2018 QX80. In a competitive market this attention to detai is can be the differentiator that sell cars. Now they are caught in the middle of the market, competing more with Hyundai and Kia and selling discounted vehicles near the same price points, but losing money on them. They invested also invested a lot in niche platforms. The Leaf was one of the first full EVs, but never really evolved. They misjudged the market - luxury EVs are selling, small budget models not so much. Variable compression engines offering little in terms of real-world power or tech, let a lot of complexity that is leading to higher failure rates. Aside from the Z and GT-R (low volume models), not much forced induction (whether your a fan or not, look at what Honda did with the CR-V and Acura RDX - same chassis, slap a turbo on it, make it nicer inside, and now you can sell it as a semi-premium brand with higher markup). That said, I do believe they retain the technical and engineering capability to do far better. About time management realized they need to make smarter investments and understand their markets better.
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