Now that BMW has taken the wraps off the new
G05-generation X5 “sports activity vehicle,” we can start looking forward to
what the high-performance versions will look like. Not only the inevitable X5
M, but possibly an Alpina version, too. And this is probably a pretty good idea
of what it would look like.
Envisioned by Nikita Aksyonov, these renderings give
us an advanced look at a theoretical 2019 Alpina XD5. As enthusiasts of
Alpina’s heavily modified Bimmers will know, that means a high-output diesel
engine – the kind still favored in Germany and other European markets. But
those same enthusiasts will know that Alpina never currently offer a tuned
X5.
The closest it’s come is the XD3 and XD4, based on
the smaller BMW X3 and X4. Those have come with a 3.0-liter quad-turbo
inline-six, still fueled by diesel oil but producing 388 hp and 770 Nm of torque.
That’s significantly more than BMW offers itself in
the X3, which tops out with the M40i (packing 355 hp and 369 lb-ft) and the
xDrive30d (with 261 hp and 457 lb-ft). And it’s comparable to the new X5 M50d,
with its 394 hp and 760 Nm of torque.
We’d expect a potential XD5, were Alpina to make one,
to boast even more muscle. And it’d have the subtle but sportier visual
upgrades to go with it, too. Now the question is if Alpina will develop such a
model. For our part, we can only hope – even if we stand little chance of ever
seeing one in North America.
