06 June 2018, 03:16 / Auto

BMW introduced the fourth generation X5

The crossover completely changed the appearance and technical content Gennady Anisimov

BMW

BMW introduced the fourth generation of the X5 crossover . The official premiere of the model will take place in Atlanta (Georgia) in the second half of the year, the company announced. Sales around the world, including in Russia, will begin in November 2018. Vedomosti got acquainted with a pre-production sample of the crossover at a preliminary show in the United States.

The car has practically not changed in dimensions: length - 4922 (36 mm more than the previous generation ), width - 1972 mm (+34 mm), height - 1773 mm (+11 mm). The wheelbase has increased by 42 mm - to 2975 mm. The X5 uses the rear/all-wheel drive CLAR (Cluster Architecture) platform, shared with the current 5 and 7 Series sedans and the new X7 large crossover (due on the market in early 2018). body The X5's is made of steel and aluminum without the use of carbon fiber. The weight of the car remained approximately the same as its predecessor.

The exterior of the car has been significantly redesigned, although the designers tried to preserve the established image of the model. For the first time for the X5, stylists abandoned the straight waistline, raising it with a wave on the rear door and wheel arches. Large rear lights are made voluminous. The characteristic “nostrils” of the radiator grille are connected by a chrome bridge that masks the gap. The headlights can be equipped with laser light emitters (like the BMW i8 and Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII), with LEDs as standard.

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The interior design of the new X5 is laconic, the finishing materials and workmanship are of the highest class. The instrument panel is virtual and changes graphics depending on the mode of preset chassis settings, of which there are five – Comfort, Sport, Individual, Eco Pro and Adaptive. Adjacent to the instruments is a central touch screen slightly angled towards the driver. The engine start button is lowered down to the gear shift stick. The gearbox mode switch, the engine start button and the multimedia system control puck can be trimmed with Swarovski crystal. The interior can be equipped with sports or comfortable front seats with ventilation, heating and massage. The salon can be equipped with contour and ambient lighting. The cup holder nests are equipped with heating and cooling; in the niche of the center console there is a contactless charging area for a smartphone up to 6 inches.

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A notable technical innovation of the X5 was the trunk equipment and transformation system. The system of separate folding of seats is equipped with electric drives, as well as a horizontal curtain, which (also by electric drive) is retracted into a special compartment under the trunk floor. A load retention system can be built into the trunk floor: rubberized longitudinal slides that automatically rise while the car is moving, preventing bags from sliding along the trunk. The rear door and the tilt-down lid are equipped with an electric drive; the two open doors are closed with one button on the top door (optional).

With the transition to a new platform, large X-series models will have a steering rear suspension (Integral Active Steering) and active anti-roll bars, which can be combined with air suspension (for both axles, optional) with a ground clearance variable by 80 mm, sports suspension on springs ( option). As standard, the crossover will be equipped with a suspension with steel coil springs and shock absorbers of variable stiffness. The car can be equipped with an off-road package with special chassis and engine settings modes - “rocks”, “sand”, “snow”, “gravel” - and a mountain descent assistant.

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will hit the market The X5 with four engines (two petrol and two diesel) with power ranging from 262 to 462 hp. With. (V8 in the BMW X5 xDrive50i version). For Russia there will be a version xDrive30d with a 249 hp inline six-cylinder diesel engine. With. and 620 Nm. All engines will be combined with an 8-speed automatic transmission and Xdrive all-wheel drive. The model will have a plug-in hybrid version with a gasoline engine, said BMW X5 project manager Johann Kistler. The fourth generation X5 will not have an all-electric version. A 7-seat version of the X5 with a folding third row of seats will appear at the end of the year.

The X5 crossover (in SAV terminology, Sport Activity Vehicle) is one of the most successful BMW models. In 2017, 180,905 cars of this model were sold worldwide (according to the company), an increase of 8.8%. All BMW sales last year amounted to 2.088 million units. Since the model's launch in 1999, 2.044 million X5s across three generations have been sold.

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In Russia in 2017, X5 was the brand's top seller - 6,720 units. All BMW sales last year amounted to 30,018 units. (an increase of 9%). From January to April 2018, 1,728 units were sold in Russia. The X5 crossover was the brand's second best-selling model, behind the BMW 5-Series.

The X5, together with the X7 crossover, will be one of 40 new and updated models, which, according to BMW Group CEO Harald Kruger, should increase the brand's sales and return global leadership in the premium segment by 2020.

The X5 will continue to be produced at BMW's American plant in Spartanburg, where the new X7 and the future generation of the X6 will also be produced. The X5 will not be assembled in China. SKD will probably remain in Kaliningrad, the company said.