BMW reveals all-new X5

It's the 4x4 that put the 'sport' into sport utility vehicle and now the new BMW X5 is looking to improve on the 'utility' part of the equation.

The new X5 is BMW's first ever car with three rows of seats, sporting a pair of foldaway chairs in the boot to help the X5 compete against the likes of the Volvo XC90 and Land Rover Discovery.

The optional third-row seats are accommodated by a 190mm body stretch and 60mm widening of the new X5 compared with the old model.

BMW has also used the extra size to include a 200-litre boot when the third row seats are in place.

Do without the rear-most seats and there's a 90-litre hidden storage compartment under the boot floor.

Up-front, the dash mimics the 5-Series' and follows BMW current 'wave' design.

In the centre console, the X5 now has i-Drive but with eight shortcut buttons to save scrolling through menus on the dash-top screen. This screen can also be used with the optional rear-parking camera.

Amid all of this practicality, BMW has not forgotten to make the X5 superb to drive, and there's the firm's latest petrol and diesel engines under the bonnet.

Petrol power is taken care of by a 272bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine or the 4.8-litre V8 with 355bhp.

The V8 sees off 0-62mph in just 6.5 seconds, while the 3.0si model is no slouch either with an 8.1-second time.

The 3.0-litre turbodiesel is only fractionally slower from 0-62mph than its petrol counterpart, clocking 8.3 seconds, and it uses the same new six-speed gearbox as the petrol motors.

The diesel is set to be the big seller of the range, and its 231bhp and 32.5mpg economy make it a wise choice.

All new X5s can top 130mph, but to do this buyers will have to choose the Dynamic Package, although BMW is yet to release details of what this is.

Other firsts for the X5 in its class include run-flat tyres and a head-up display that projects essential information onto the windscreen in the driver's line of sight.

The new X5 hits UK roads in the spring of 2007 and prices are expected to be a little higher than for the current models.

© Source: original article on topgear