   STYLE & BUILD In 2007, the BMW engineers simply picked up a syringe, sucked out a dose of testosterone till it reached the ‘are you insane’ marker and then injected the whole damn dollop into the X5. Result? The once large SUV simply exploded in all directions. It has gotten wider, longer, taller and beefier. Before the changes the X5 was massive, but with the new style revisions things have gone ballistic. A wide track (1.64 metres front / 1.65 metres rear) gives her tremendous street presence. And the flared wheel arches denote a purpose not entirely intended by vehicles of her ilk.
 The double wishbone suspension at the front ensures optimum directional stability while at the same time enhancing its ride-damping abilities. Adaptive Drive on the other hand reduces roll by hydraulically controlling the anti-roll bars to counteract cornering forces.  Despite the lengthening and widening the X5 does not add any weight thanks to generous use of aluminium in several body and suspension components. The X5 also comes with an improved traction control system that has four new functions: brake pre-tensioning which primes the brakes if the control unit detects a sharp lift of from the throttle; brake drying which applies brakes in the wet to keep the film of water off the discs; hill start assist which prevents the X5 from rolling back and brake fade compensation which detects if excessive heat build-up is reducing braking efficiency and thus increases brake pressure. But the sweetest offering on the X5 is the Dynamic Traction Control, which can now be switched off completely if what you seek is a more enthusiastic (and tail-hanging) drive.  Every sprung and unsprung component comes together in unbelievable synchronicity to provide an exacting driving experience. The levels of grip are unbelievable, especially when motoring an SUV that is as large as the X5. Over and above which you simply cannot forget that this vehicle weighs a little over two tons, so the manner in which the X5 carves corners much like a surgeon’s scalpel slicing through nerve and sinew, is an incredible experience.  ENGINE & TRANSMISSIONBMW claims that the 3.0-litre diesel under the hood of the X5 we tested is the world’s most powerful 6-cylinder production diesel. What they don’t tell you is that this is probably the best diesel engine you will have ever driven. Sure it’s powerful and makes this 2-ton hulk burn tarmac, but what you have to experience is the refinement and the responsive nature. Only the 5-Series diesel felt this good and that car is a sports car masquerading as a sedan. The 24-valve straight-six displaces 2993cc and cracks out a massive 286 horses. There is also a stump uprooting 580Nm of torque stored within those hallowed chambers all of which is unleashed once the revs cross 2000rpm alland hold steady up to 2750rpm. So much for paper spec; what the listings don’t let on is that all the torque and power rush out to play at the slightest nudge of the gas pedal. Everything is controlled electronically, the engine sensors, gas pedal, clutch and several other components, so information is transmitted faster than one can think. Add two turbochargers to the equation, a small one that provides initial boost at near idle and a larger one that gives the punch at higher revs, and the X5 is never left gasping for breath. Additionally these two turbochargers constantly supply 2.5 bar pressures to the intercooler and this results in the turbo seamlessly providing boost to the engine right from idle all the way to the redline - so not for a moment is there anything like turbo lag. A second generation common-rail injection unit that uses piezo crystals to provide accurately metered fuelling. The engine block is made entirely out of aluminium saving a lot of weight, a benefit that boosts performance.  Power is delivered by a six-speed automatic to all four wheels. BMW Active 4WD system distributes power between front and rear wheels in a 40:60 ratio so you never lose the rear-wheel-drive feeling BMWs are generally associated with. And with the DSC switched off, the X5 is completely at ease, power sliding round corners and creating full opposite lock drama. If you are not an automatic lover then the manual shift mode lets you play with the gears. The changes between gears occur instantaneously thanks to a superb torque converter that ensures there is no lag in between gear changes. A fact that few will ever know is that the transmission of the 3.0-litre diesel can handle torque outputs of up to 650Nm without hitch. The new X5 also has an electronic parking brake activated at the click of a switch rather than the conventional lever.  PERFORMANCE, EFFICIENCY & BRAKINGThis is a question I don’t just intend posing to BMW but in general to most manufacturers who make these new age SUVs, SAVs, MAVs or plain crossovers, whatever. The point of making them fly past 100kmph in under ten seconds, let the speedo needle climb all the way to 250kmph and do this in any gear is something I find absurd in a 4x4. But heck, there is a segment of people who swear by these. I do too, only I use the size and sheer girth of SUVs along with the tremendous roar that these engines emanate to scare straying autorickshaws off the fast lane. As an intimidation tool, nothing comes close to the new X5. The sheer size and the way it rapidly fills up a rear-view mirror, is indeed scary. Still, I don’t see the point of making these the equivalent of their sedan counterparts. Not only are they quick but can handle corners just as well. The point I guess is that you can also in a rare moment take these vehicles to that farmhouse whose driveway used to scrape the bejeesus out of your sedan’s undercarriage. So why not give it a low ratio gearbox, which only enables owners to take it further out into the wild? Anyhow, for the number crunchers who can’t wait to headbang over merits of the X5 performance, here goes. The X5 flew past the 100kmph mark in 8.7 seconds, the quarter mile in 16.3 seconds and the kilometre mark in 30.16 seconds. And for trivia, that’s about a second slower than the 5-Series sedans, nearly as quick as the E-Class, nearly a couple of seconds quicker than the Q7 - that just about makes it one of the fastest SUVs in India today. But it’s not just the speed that the X5 accumulates, but the intensity with which this behemoth notches up the figures that is an eye opener. BMW has stacked such a lot of horsepower under that hood and made it respond so quickly to throttle inputs, it’s simply amazing an SUV can be this quick. With performance this intense, an easy assumption would be that the fuel efficiency must stink. Well, with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, the X5 ought to be thirsty; it has every right to be but let’s not forget it’s diesel and you would also be pleasantly surprised to know that she is in fact just the opposite of thirsty. For an SUV this large the X5 provides an efficiency of around 10kmpl on the highway and a very respectable 7.3kmpl in the city. This gives her a range of around 8kmpl, so on a tankful (which is 85 litres) you should get a range of nearly 680 kilometres. Braking from 100kmph to an absolute standstill is achieved in 43.27 metres and 3 seconds. From 80kmph to standstill is achieved in 30.49 metres and 2.6 seconds. And with ABS and discs all round I could not expect it to stop but in a straight line with as little fuss as possible.  SUMMING IT UPI simply can’t figure out the purpose of something like the X5. There was once a distinctive line between SUVs and sports cars and over time that has diminished so much it’s hard to identify one from the other. There are of course certain benefits to this crossover but along with it there are also certain negatives. These are not specific to the X5 but again are generic to SUVs. The first is that these are big, so trying to give them even larger proportions makes it that much harder to squeeze into parking spots. After all the white painted line spaces in my parking lot do not get any wider just because I got a larger SUV. But five of us with our luggage can take the SUV to my new farmhouse where I did not build a proper driveway because I own a crossover. But I certainly can’t take it out to that mountain range visible from my farmhouse because my SUV cannot lead me to that absolutely stunning vista. Psuedo! So what is my SUV good for? Posing, methinks! And that is what I dislike about this segment; more often than not they end up being poster boys rather than the real deal. Which is why I can’t figure out why manufacturers don’t go that extra mile and add ride height adjuster and a low ratio gearbox for more heavy duty work. Now that would make such SUVs far more appreciable, because I now have a choice of three areas to play in; city, light off-road or Everest base camp. The X5 leaves me ecstatic, make no mistake. I simply love the sense of power and dominance it provides when on the road. Working the X5’s gas pedal and unleashing all that firepower under the hood feels obscenely blissful. But I simply cannot figure out whether the X5 is a good car or a damn good SUV. So to attain nirvana, I intend driving her to the edge... and check if enlightenment does dawn! |
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| BMW X5 Test Drive |
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The front end dominates the entire canvas with a massive kidney grille to enhance cooling and a large bumper with wide air dams. There is simply no mistaking a Beemer, ever! And the X5 is even more recognisable with the blown-out proportions clearly making it stand out in a crowd. 
The interiors are quite similar to any BMW sedan, interesting, plush, luxurious and well built but too similar to excite any more. The seats are quite comfortable and the view from the driver’s seat is fantastic. The X5 has also been lengthened compared to the previous model (4.854 metres) and can now seat seven with a foldable third row arrangement. The dashboard is well laid out and looks handsome but not much of it is very different from a 3- or 5-Series sedan. The feel is very upmarket and I am sure prospective buyers will appreciate the quality feel and the lack of noise (be it engine clatter or the wind whipping past the windows) inside the cabin.
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