The most popular BMW product in the U.S. is the X3, followed closely by the X5, and the 2027 model year of the latter is almost ready to make its debut next week, with a reveal scheduled for June 30. The fifth-generation X5’s reveal date was announced on LinkedIn, and little else was revealed, but we know the new G65 generation is going to be one of the most important vehicles BMW has ever created. Five different powertrains will be available, though not all will be offered in the U.S.: gas, diesel, plug-in hybrid, all-electric, and hydrogen fuel cell, the latter of which could make its way to other model lines if all goes well here.
2027 BMW X5: Not a Neue Klasse SUV
BMW
Although its styling and infotainment interface will suggest so, and despite having a wide variety of powertrains on offer, the 2027 BMW X5 is not underpinned by the Neue Klasse platform, instead arriving atop a modified version of the CLAR platform under the contemporary G05 X5. Even with this slight compromise, the new X5 will have the biggest battery of any electric Bimmer to date, with a usable capacity of 144 kWh in the U.S. It’ll also be the biggest X5 yet, measuring roughly 2.3 inches longer than the current model, with a 2.4-inch swelling of the wheelbase. For the first time, 23-inch wheels will reportedly be available too.
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Unfortunately, the new X5 may be fractionally less practical than before, with the split tailgate expected to be dropped because most customers didn’t even know it existed. The same will likely be true of wagons based on the new i3 sedan and its yet-to-be-revealed combustion-powered counterpart – it’s heavy and expensive to engineer, so if customers will hardly notice, BMW may as well get rid of it. Thanks to a leak earlier this year, we know that production of the new X5 will begin at BMW’s Spartanburg facility in South Carolina in August and is planned to continue until July 2035.
2027 BMW X5 Will Square Up Against New Mercedes GLE
BMW
The most direct rival to the X5 is Mercedes-Benz’s GLE, which has already been updated for the 2027 model year, and it looks promising. New looks, bigger engine options with greater efficiency, a quieter cabin, more comfortable suspension, and far more technology in the cabin all mean the 2027 GLE will be a serious threat to the success of the X5. Hopefully, this new X5 will be just as popular as its predecessor because if so, there’s a chance, albeit slim, that the BMW M1 supercar could someday be resurrected. We’ll bring you more information on Tuesday when the embargo lifts, and then it’ll be time to get ready for the next X6, which will share its powertrains and tech with the X5 but in a swoopy coupe-like body.
