Coming next year, the fifth-generation X5 will offer an impressively diverse lineup. In addition to the usual gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrid options, the “G65” will also get two electric versions. There’s the battery-powered iX5, followed in 2028 by an already announced hydrogen variant.
But wait, there’s more. New spy shots reveal BMW is also expanding the luxury SUV’s M Performance lineup. Alongside a pure gas version akin to today’s X5 M60i, there will also be a plug-in hybrid. Spotted at the BMW Test Center at Nürburgring, the camouflaged prototype flaunts a quad exhaust system. It was also seen plugged in and wearing a license plate ending in “E,” two clear indicators that it’s a PHEV.
One piece of the puzzle remains missing: how many cylinders are under the hood? We’re leaning toward six rather than eight. The electrified M Performance X5 is rumored to be called the “X5 M60e xDrive,” while a separate gas-only variant is expected to wear the “X5 M60 xDrive” badge. Given the near-identical naming, the plug-in hybrid is likely to use an inline-six. Why? Allow us to explain.
When paired with an electric motor, the total output would be on par with the V8 model. Logic suggests BMW would have assigned a higher number to the plug-in hybrid if it combined a V8 with an electric motor and surpassed the pure V8 variant in total output.
A closer look at the prototype shows the rear license plate now sits much lower than before. The jury is still out on whether BMW will retain the split tailgate. While the horizontal black line hints that the two-piece setup may remain, it could just as easily be a camouflage trick. We previously reported that the “G65” might lose the handy feature that the X5 has had since the “E53” came out back in 1999.
Elsewhere, the profile is cleaner than any previous X5. Notice the absence of conventional door handles? Access is gained via small winglets integrated into the beltline, a solution already seen on the Skytop and Speedtop. The next X5 will be the first series-production BMW to adopt this setup, with the second-generation X7 not far behind.
The full X5 lineup is also expected to include a third M Performance variant, the iX5 M70 xDrive. It will ditch the combustion engine entirely in favor of a dual-motor setup producing more power than the other two models. As if the range wasn’t complicated enough, the full-fat X5 M could arrive as both a pure V8 gas model and an EV.
Meanwhile, BMW is conducting final testing ahead of next year’s premiere. The “G65” is slated to enter production in August, pointing to a world debut sometime between late spring and mid-summer.
Source: ringprototypes / Instagram
