When BMW dropped the original X5 in 1999, the idea of a sport-sedan company building a two-ton SUV sounded close to heresy. It turned out to be one of the smartest bets the brand ever made.
The X5 has been a Spartanburg-built bestseller ever since, and now the fifth-generation 2027 model arrives with the biggest shake-up the nameplate has ever seen. That includes the first all-electric X5 in its 27-year history.
Double-X Lights and Winglet Door Handles
The new X5 wears BMW’s Neue Klasse design language. And the headline up front is a set of double-X light icons that fold the low beams, running lights, and turn signals into a single slim element.
Around the side, the traditional door handles are gone, and have been replaced by touch-sensitive winglets tucked into the pillars for a cleaner profile. The proportions still feel like an X5, just taller, broader, and a good deal sharper than before.
Five Powertrains, One Big Debut
The X5 now spans combustion, plug-in hybrid, and full electric. There’s even a V8-powered M Performance model and a hydrogen iX5 both confirmed to land later.
The star is the iX5 60 xDrive, the first X5 to run on electrons alone. Two motors serve up 570 horsepower and 593 lb-ft, good for a 4.4-second sprint to 60, but the wild number is range. BMW estimates 435 miles from its 144-kWh pack, with 800-volt hardware that claws back roughly 170 miles in 10 minutes of fast charging.
Enthusiasts worried about the gas cars can relax. The trusty turbo inline-six carries over in the X5 40, now bumped to 394 horsepower, while the 50e plug-in hybrid stacks that six with a motor for 483 horsepower and 44 miles of electric-only range. And yes, the V8 is still coming.
Screens, Slate, and a Two-Spoke Wheel
Inside, BMW is all-in on the omnipresent screens trend. A 17.9-inch central display anchors the dash, paired with a pillar-to-pillar Panoramic Vision strip projected along the base of the windshield in place of a normal gauge cluster.
The divisive vertical-spoke steering wheel carries over from the iX3, and Amazon’s Alexa+ now powers the voice assistant. The actual showpiece is a first for the X5, though: a thin layer of real slate on the center console, because apparently wood and aluminum were getting boring.
Spec Sheet
Model: 2027 BMW X5 / iX5 (Fifth Generation)
Assembly: Spartanburg, South Carolina
X5 40 / 40 xDrive: Turbo 3.0L inline-six, 48V mild hybrid, 394 HP / 428 lb-ft
X5 50e xDrive (PHEV): Inline-six plus e-motor, 483 HP / 516 lb-ft, 44-mile EV range
iX5 60 xDrive (EV): Dual-motor AWD, 570 HP / 593 lb-ft, 435-mile est. range
iX5 Battery: 144 kWh net, 800V, 460 kW DC charging (10-80% in 22 min)
0-60 (iX5 60): 4.4 seconds
Transmission: 8-speed Steptronic (X5 40 / 50e)
Coming Later: V8-powered M Performance, iX5 Hydrogen
Pricing & Availability
US pricing opens at $69,800 for the rear-drive X5 40 and $72,100 for the X5 40 xDrive, climbing to $77,500 for the 50e plug-in hybrid and $79,800 for the electric iX5 60 xDrive. Add $1,450 for destination across the board. The gas X5 40 xDrive leads the rollout in October, with the rest following in the first quarter of 2027.
Recap
2027 BMW X5 / iX5
BMW’s segment-defining SUV returns for a fifth generation with Neue Klasse styling, five powertrains, and a first-ever all-electric iX5 good for an estimated 435 miles, all still built in Spartanburg.
