The facelifted X5 seems to be ready to hit the market, as BMW recently took to social media to build up the hype for its official unveiling, which should be right around the corner.
Mind you, they haven’t announced the date yet, but they did drop some shadowy teasers of the crossover, with emphasis on the lighting signature, and the illuminated grille, which will be an option targeting those who want their ride to stand out more.
It’s hard to spot the details based on the clip shared by the Munich auto marque on social media and embedded at the bottom of the page, but the numerous spy shots have revealed that it will have a new face. The main clusters, for one, are slimmer, and sport new graphics, and the bumper has vertical side vents, and probably a larger central air intake. BMW tends to listen to its customers, so the grille was not oversized. Changes out back revolve around the taillights, which are new and slightly smaller, and the bumper seems to have a cleaner design.
BMW’s facelifted X5 will get some upgrades on the inside too, which will draw a clearer line between it and the outgoing iteration. The icing on the cake here, for tech aficionados anyway, will be the curved display, mixing a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 14.9-inch infotainment system. Previous data indicates that other stuff may have been changed as well, such as the steering wheel, gear shifter, and center stack. We’d also expect new trim and upholstery options, which will contribute to the fresher feel of the cockpit, and drivers are likely to be assisted by new safety gizmos on their daily commutes.
The powertrain family is understood to have been subjected to a few revisions as well. For one, the M60i will replace the M50i, and it is understood to pack a 523 hp (530 ps/390 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque twin-turbo V8. The engine will be assisted by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, with a tiny motor integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and juiced up by a small battery. It is possible that the xDrive40i model might get a small power boost, thus matching the eponymous X7, which enjoys 375 hp (380 ps/280 kW) and 383 lb-ft (520 Nm) from its mild-hybrid straight-six. The X5 M will still sit at the top of the family, with a punchy V8, currently rated at 600 hp (609 ps/448 kW).
Full details about the X5 LCI should be announced shortly, and it is likely that it will start arriving at dealers across the U.S. in the coming months, advertised as a 2024 model, likely with a small price bump. The current X5 starts at $61,600, before destination, in the sDrive40i form, and the top-of-the-line X5 M has an MSRP of $108,900.
