Can the entry-level faux four-by-four really cut the
mustard, or is it over-wheeled and underpowered? Bob harper investigates
Back in the good old days, BMW model numbers used to mean
something more than a supposed indication as to the power output of the model,
but with the rampant engine downsizing that we’re seeing these days it won’t be
all that long before there won’t be any BMW model designations that actually
relate to their engine sizes. As it stands just about the only ones that still
‘work’ are the 20d and 20i so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to
find that the 25d badging on ‘our’ X5 doesn’t indicate an engine with a
2.5-litre capacity.
Indeed, it’s been a little while now since a 25d moniker
equated to a 2.5-litre engine – the F10 generation 5 Series was launched with a
detuned 3.0-litre diesel as the 525d and even if you go back to the E9x
generation of 3 Series in its latter days that was also powered by the detuned
3.0-litre. The point seemed to be that the 25d designation indicated the
refinement that came with a six-cylinder engine and I do remember being told by
a German colleague once that this was vital to the makeup of the company car strata
in Germany. A 325d might only have been a little bit more powerful than a 320d
but as it was a six-pot there was some demarcation between the models. Not
anymore though as the 25d in all BMWs is now a 2.0-litre four-pot, a revamped
version of the old 23d engine.
X5 sDRIVE25dM sport
And when we heard that BMW was going to be slotting it into
the X5’s cavernous engine bay we did have to do a little bit of a double take –
was it 1 April again? Could the 1995cc four-cylinder really make a decent fist
of hauling around a two-tonne X5? Surely it would feel incredibly wheezy and
underpowered? It’s funny how one’s preconceptions can cloud your judgment at
times as a brief look at the car’s vital statistics show that power, torque and
performance levels that certainly seem to be more appropriate from a ‘six than
a ‘four. We’ve got 218hp to play with at 4400rpm and a pretty decent 332lb ft
of torque from 1500-2500rpm – good enough for a 0-62mph time of 8.2 seconds. If
you cast yourself back to 2001 when the original X5 became available with a
diesel mill in the UK as the 3.0d model, you might be surprised to find that it
only had 184hp and 302lb ft of torque and a 0-62mph time of 10.2 seconds for
the five-speed auto. And no one used to accuse the diesel X5 of being slow.
Perhaps most tellingly the new car is 22cm longer than the original yet it
weighs 100kg less… perhaps the F15 sDrive25d might notbe so bad after all.
Initial impressions are certainly good, although we think
you would have to be quite brave to opt for the Mineral white paint that our
test car came in. The sDrive25d is available in two trim levels, SE or the M
Sport we have here, and as the X5 has slowly moved upmarket over the years so
has the list of equipment you now get as standard. Both models feature an
eight-speed auto, Dakota leather upholstery, dual zone auto air-con, front and
rear PDC, Professional Multimedia navigation system, xenon headlights, cruise
control, voice control, a powered tailgate and Servotronic steering. To this
pretty generous list of kit the M Sport adds the traditional range of
embellishments – M aerodynamic styling, a set of 19-inch M double spoke alloys,
a Sports auto transmission, Sports seats with electric adjustment, High-gloss
shadowline trim, an anthracite headlining and various M logos and trims. The
sDrive SE is the entry-level model in the X5 range and has an on-the road price
of $71147,63 while our M Sport will set you back nigh-on another $6626,86 at $77666,80
X5 sDRIVE25dM
Sport right side view
The X5 is still an imposing piece of kit and you very much
climb up into it rather than flopping down into it like you would with a 5
Series Touring, and once in the cockpit feels fresh and airy. The dashboard
itself follows BMW’s current layering strategy and there are a number of
different surfaces, textures and angles to get your head around but it actually
works very well and to our eyes looks bang up to date. Some people are still
having trouble getting used to the iDrive display screen sprouting from the top
of the dash in all current BMWs but you certainly get a clearer view than when
it was more buried in the dashboard with a hooded cover. The centre console
itself is broad and there’s space here for the new, larger iDrive controller
with its touch pad, the electronic handbrake switch, the gear lever and the
switches for the Drive Performance Control and reversing camera. There are also
two cup holders that should accommodate drinks big enough to quench the largest
of thirsts and this is covered by a roller blind when not in use. The door
pockets are huge and the centre console space under the armrest serves as a
useful oddments tray, too – all-in all it’s a practical package and usefully
larger inside than a 5 Series Touring.
Our test car had also been fitted with the optional
third-row seating to make it even more practical, although at $2335,97 it’s not
a particularly cheap box to tick on the order form. As you’d expect the third
row of seats is well designed and unfolding and stowing them is child’s play
once you’ve worked out which lever to pull and how to tip the middle row of
seats, but once they’re up it’s pretty obvious that they’re not suitable for
adult occupants and if your kids are on the large side they may complain, too.
They should probably be viewed as something that’s suitable for occasional use
rather than being a solution if you have four or five children – there are much
better seven-seaters on the market than this. Adults will struggle to fit their
legs behind the middle row of seats, even when they’re in their forward
position, and if the middle row is pushed back to give middle row passengers
enough rear legroom those in the rear will be unreasonably squashed. As we
said, best viewed as for occasional use only.
X5 sDRIVE25dM
Sport interior
