BMW X5 3.0d

Road Test

Your Say

Test date 09 May 2007 Price as tested £40,100

For On-road handling, performance, refinement, driving position

AgainstAwkward shofter, less capable off-road than rivals, tight third-row seats

You may wonder why this new BMW X5 doesn’t look significantly different from its predecessor. But consider this: one in three X5 owners say they won’t think of buying anything else when it comes to replacing their current car.

So there is no radical departure here, just a car that’s slightly bigger, more powerful, more luxurious and more refined than the one it replaces.

Spot the difference. Compared with BMW’s more radical redesigns, the styling tweaks for the new X5 are notably conservative, little more than gently updating the original design with similar proportions and profile.

Beyond the larger headlamps and sculpted bonnet, the biggest change is the X5’s growth spurt, overall length increasing by 187mm, wheelbase by 113mm and width by 17mm. Yet despite the larger footprint and a 15 per cent increase in torsional stiffness, the new X5 weighs just 15kg more than the previous model, thanks to an aluminium bonnet, instrument panel and suspension arms, and thermoplastic front wings.

That makes it 287kg lighter than the Audi Q7 we tested last year. The reason for the X5’s extra length is to free space for optional third-row seating, bringing the X5’s seating capacity in line with the longer-still Audi Q7's and Mercedes GL's.

BMW has ditched MacPherson front struts and fitted double wishbones – a move which, along with the longer wheelbase and wider tracks (68mm front, 74mm rear), is aimed at ensuring the X5 remains the driver’s SUV of choice. For those who want to extend the X5’s on-road abilities, the X5 can be specified with adaptive anti-roll bars and active steering.

Drive is again directed through BMW’s xDrive system, using an electronic clutch and DSC+ to alter the drive from the default 40/60 front/rear bias to 100 per cent front or rear where necessary.