We’re all familiar with the X5. It’s been the Bavarian manufacturer’s
macho offering for those who want sportiness but in an SUV package. Now
that there’s a new one, we tell you what it’s like from the driver’s perch
One can’t deny it. There has always been
something about a BMW that makes a driver want to reach for its keys. Ok, so
these days the key is more of a plastic fob with buttons to lock/unlock the
doors and the boot-lid that you put in your pocket than in a slot for the
ignition, but you get the point I wish to make. BMWs have always commanded a
degree of desirability among the vast majority of global driving junta. The
credit for that has to go to the way they drive. They are sporty and
dynamically capable (and how!); not to forget their power-packed drivetrains
that have always managed to deliver that punch-in-the-face kind of acceleration
when you stomp on the throttle with gusto.
The
X5 is spacious, comfortable and well-appointed
Naturally, the company has a sizeable
line-up of very sporty saloons, coupés and even the odd spattering of sports
cars. But what about the SUV-lovers? Should they be deprived of the thrills of
fast driving? Of course, not. For this latter bunch, BMW have a few SUVs too.
Like their three-box counterparts, these SUVs are fast, dynamically able and
definitely sporty. And leading this pack of butch offerings from Bavaria is the
new X5, which is one of the butch-est of them all. Go on, take a look at that
picture once again. You’ll realize that you don’t want to see that large kidney
grille in your rear-view. It exudes aggression. Exactly as an SUV should. Yet,
if you shift your gaze downwards and look at the wheels, you’re left in no
doubt as to its sporty intent. Those 21-inch alloys shod with 285/35 tyres give
the game away like that mean aunt who insists on telling you the climax of the
romedy you’re planning to take your date to.
The
X5 has a classy and practical interior
Clearly, this isn’t the SUV you want to
take for a desert safari. This is the car you want to be driving on the tarmac,
preferably smooth tarmac where those fat tyres can grip the road like Velcro
while that three-litre diesel engine propels you forward with exhilarating
alacrity. But more of that later. Before driving, one must first get in.
The
X5 gets the benefit of a sat-nav, which works quite well actually
In characteristic BMW style there are no
surprises in the X5’s cabin. Everything is exactly where they are on all their
other cars, which also means that you don’t even have to blink before getting
used to this car. The addition of proper wood inserts in the dash is a super
idea and looks really classy, especially with its ridged finish. Seats are
comfy and supportive too, even though they seemed a bit wide for someone with
my girth (which isn’t much at all). For the odd-sized folk like me, there are,
of course, multiple adjustments on the seat so that we can first get
comfortable before we hit the road.
Trademark
split-gate at the rear
Speaking of hitting the road, that’s
exactly what the X5 does. Step on the throttle with some real purpose and the
X5 leaps ahead with an angry snarl. Three digits are, in fact, reached before
you can spell s-p-e-e-d, courtesy the 560 Nm of peak torque and 258 PS output
of the in-line six under that sculpted bonnet. Besides, the engine has been
worked on and is now much more refined than it was in the past. Gear shifts happen
quickly too as the eight-speed automatic transmission keeps pace with the X5’s
racy heart even if the torque converter isn’t as quick as the dual-clutch
transmissions in some of the competition. You won’t feel that much of a
difference, though, since the mind is still coming to grips with the way this
two-plus-tonne beast gathers velocity. This is also roughly the time when you
realize why the car gets such low-profile tyres. With so much torque going to
the wheels you need all the grip they can offer.
