One of BMW Malaysia’s best performing vehicles was the X5 xDrive40e, their first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in SUV form. It debuted in CKD form in late 2016 on the facelifted 3rd generation X5. Now that the X5 is in its 4th generation, it is no longer locally-assembled and no longer has a plug-in hybrid variant. Well, that WAS the case, until very recently. There’s a strong indication that the PHEV version of the latest X5 will come to Malaysia very soon.
On top of that, the US market received their version of the same in the form of the BMW X5 xDrive45e just yesterday. It is built in their Spartanburg plant in South Corolina alongside the X3 PHEV.
Unlike the previous generation X5 PHEV, this one features not a 2-litre, 4-cylinder but a 3-litre, 6-cylinder engine. This may dissuade many returning customers, who may not be willing to fork out thousands of Ringgits annually for the road tax, even if petrol prices increase over the coming months.
The battery is much larger too. It’s now 24kWh, which is double what it was on the last model. This also means almost double the electric only range. The placement of the battery has been improved as well, so as to free up cargo space in the rear.
All in all, the system output is now 389 horsepower and 600Nm of torque and it completes the century sprint more than a second faster than the previous model did at 5.3 seconds.
The new X5 xDrive45e has 3 drive modes: Hybrid, Electric and Sport.
Hybrid is its default mode. The car determines the most efficient use of power, whether it should come from the engine or electric motors. In Electric mode, the X5 can be driven up to 135km/h without the petrol engine coming on. Sport mode uses both power sources, with more aggressive energy recuperation to keep the electric motors powered.
The xDrive system here has a slight rear-biased setup.
Here are some of the US-specifications for the X5 xDrive45e according to the press release
PRESS RELEASE
Wheels and Tires
Standard equipment on the 2021 X5 xDrive45e are:
- 19 x 9.0 inch V-spoke Style 734 wheels with 265/50R19 all-season run-flat tires.
Optional wheel and tire packages include:
- 20 x 9.0 inch V-Spoke Style 738 wheels with 275/45R20 all-season run-flat tires.
- 20 x 9.0 inch M Star-spoke Style 740M wheels with 275/45R20 all-season run-flat tires
- 21 x 9.5 inch front and 21 x 10.5 inch rear Style 744 wheels with 275/40R21 front and 315/35R21 rear performance run-flat tires.
- 21 x 9.5 inch front and 21 x 10.5 inch rear Style 741M wheels with 275/40R21 front and 315/35R21 rear performance run-flat tires.
Exterior Paint Finishes
The X5 xDrive45e is available in a choice of 9 non-metallic and metallic paint finishes.
- Alpine White (standard)
- Jet Black (standard)
- Carbon Black Metallic
- Black Sapphire Metallic
- Dark Graphite Metallic
- Mineral White Metallic
- Phytonic Blue Metallic
- Arctic Grey Metallic
- Manhattan Green Metallic
Interior Upholstery and Trim
Standard Sensatec upholstery in either Canberra Beige/Black or in Black offers leather-like surfaces while providing additional wear resistance for active owners.
Optional Vernasca Leather in:
- Ivory White
- Canberra Beige
- Coffee
- Cognac
- Black
BMW Individual Extended Merino Leather is available as an option in:
- Ivory White
- Coffee
- Tartufo
- Black
- Ivory White/Navy Blue
Fineline Stripe Wood High Gloss trim is standard. Available alternative trim finishes include:
- Aluminum Tetragon
- Aluminum Dark Mesh
- Brown-Metallic Ash Grain Wood
- Fineline Stripe Brown High Gloss Wood
- Anthracite Brown Poplar Matte Finish Wood
Standard Equipment
The X5 xDrive45e’s comprehensive list of standard equipment includes:
- xLine trim
- 19-inch V-Spoke alloy wheels with all-season run-flat tires
- Power adjustable steering column with Sport leather steering wheel
- 8-Speed Sport Automatic transmission
- 2-axle air suspension
- Live Cockpit Professional with iDrive 7, navigation and two digital 12.3-inch displays
- Apple Car Play compatibility
- Android Auto Compatibility (starting from 8/20 production)
- SiriusXM Satellite radio with 1 year All-Access subscription
- Comfort Access keyless entry
- Rear view camera
- Panoramic sunroof
- Privacy glass
- Power front heated sport seats
- SensaTec dashboard
- Interior ambient lighting
- Adaptive Full LED headlights and Automatic high beams
- Acoustic protection for pedestrians
- Active Protection
- Automatic seat belt tensioning
- Automatic closing of windows and moonroof
- Fatigue and Focus Alert
- Post-Crash Braking
- Active Driving Assistant
- Lane Departure Warning
- Daytime Pedestrian Warning
- Frontal Collision Warning with City Collision Mitigation
- Speed Limit Information
- Active Blind Spot Detection
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Rear Collision Preparation
- Connected Package Professional
- Real Time Traffic and On Street Parking Availability.
- Intelligent Personal Assistant with natural speech input
- Remote Services with Remote Door Unlock, BMW Connected App and Stolen Vehicle Recovery
Optional Packages and Equipment
The X5 xDrive45e features optional packages and stand-alone equipment to further enhance the driving and ownership experience.
Convenience Package
- 4-zone climate control
- Wireless charging for compatible mobile devices
- Wi-Fi hot spot with 3-month or 3GB data trial
- Enhanced USB and Bluetooth
Driving Assistance Professional Package
- Extended Traffic Jam Assistant for limited access highways (Level 2)
- Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go
- Lane Keeping Assistant with side collision avoidance
- Steering and Traffic Jam Assistant
- Evasion Assistant
- Front Cross-Traffic Alert
Luxury Seating Package
- Front Ventilated Multi-Contour seats
M Sport Package
- 20-inch M Star-spoke bi-color Style 740M wheels with all-season run-flat tires
- or 21-inch M Y-spoke bi-color Style 741M wheels performance run-flat tires
- Roof rails in High Gloss Shadowline
- Aluminum Tetragon trim
- or Aluminum Dark Mesh interior trim
- or Brown-Metallic Ash Grain Wood trim
- or Fineline Stripe Brown High Gloss Wood trim
- or Anthracite-Brown Poplar Matte Wood trim
- M Steering wheel
- Aerodynamic Kit
- Shadowline exterior trim
- Vernasca Leather
- or Individual Extended Merino Leather
Parking Assistance Package
- Parking Assistant Plus
- Back-Up Assistant
- Drive Recorder
- Active Park Distance Control
- Surround View with 3D View
Premium Package
- 4-zone automatic climate control
- Head-Up Display
- Harman Kardon Surround Sound System
- Wireless Charging
- Gesture Control
- WiFi Hotspot with 3-month or 3GB data trial
- Enhanced USB and Bluetooth
Executive Package
- Panoramic Sky Lounge LED Roof
- Rear manual side window shades
- Glass Controls
- 4-zone automatic climate control
- Icon Adaptive LED Headlights with Laserlight
- Head-Up Display
- Harman Kardon Surround Sound System
- Wireless Charging
- Gesture Control
- WiFi Hotspot with 3-month or 3GB data trial
- Enhanced USB and Bluetooth
Stand-Alone Options
- 20-inch V-spoke Style 738 wheels with all-season run-flat tires
- 21-inch Y-spoke Style 744 wheels with performance run-flat tires
- M Sport Brakes with blue calipers (red calipers optional from 8/20 production)
- Aluminum running boards
- Trailer Hitch (7,200 lb. tow rating)
- Rear manual side window shades
- Front and rear heated seats
- Heated front armrests and steering wheel
- Aluminum Dark Mesh interior trim
- Brown-Metallic Ash Grain Wood trim
- Anthracite-Brown Poplar Matte Finish Wood Trim
- Front massaging seats
- Extended Shadowline trim
- Anthracite Alcantara headliner
- Alcantara Headliner in upholstery color
