2019 BMW X5
Case in point with the BMW X5 - while
the current F15 incarnation of the Sports Activity Vehicle (that's crossover in
Bimmer language) entered production three years ago, the German engineers are
well into the testing program from the next X5, which uses the G05 internal
code.
The fourth-gen X5 has lapping the Nurburgring. As demonstrated by the more
civilian part of the footage, which comes at the end, this is a diesel test
car, so there's no need to get your velocity hopes high.
Even so, the SAV seen here appears to
have left the nose-heavy issues of the current X5 behind. And while not every
SAV driver is looking for hooning episodes, anybody getting behind the wheel
should be able to feel the more relaxed attitude that derives from such an
improvement.
Then again, you'd expect the X5 to go
through such a change. You see, while the F15 is based on an evolution of the
previous model's platform (E70), the newcomer will rely on an all-new
architecture.
We're talking about the new CLAR
(Cluster Architecture), which we've already met in the 2016 BMW 7 Series.
Mixing aluminum and carbon fiber, the new structure will shed weight while
improving torsional rigidity, so the next X5 might just bring back the old
school BMW handling experience.
And while the current X5 already offers
hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, the G05 should deliver a better integration
of the combustion-electric powertrains.
Since we mentioned the timetable of the
fourth-gen X5 above, we'll tell you that BMW should bring us the SAV in 2018,
so we'll be looking at a 2019 model.
