BMW Heaven - The Knowledge Base 2.0

The New BMW X5 - major enhancements to the car that broke the mould

Following three years of sales success, including sales up by 32 per cent this year alone, BMW has announced enhancements to the BMW X5 that improve performance both on and off-road. The new model debuts in September 2003 at the Frankfurt Motorshow.

New engines - more power, more refinement
The X5 receives three new engines. Eight-cylinder power comes from a 4.4i V8, with a new high performance X5 4.8iS arriving in Spring 2004. BMW's latest six-cylinder 3.0 diesel engine is added to the line up, and is complemented by the 3.0i petrol engine carried over from the existing car.


The new BMW 4.4i V8 engine features VALVETRONIC inlet control and Bi- Vanos valve timing and is mated to a new six-speed automatic gearbox with gear ratios tailored for the new X5. This combination has already set new standards of performance and refinement in the new BMW 7 Series. Developing 320 bhp (an increase of 34 bhp over the outgoing model), the X5 4.4i accelerates from 0 - 100 km/h in only 7.0 seconds (previously 7.5 seconds) before reaching a top speed of 238 km/h (up from 229 km/h) in its Sport guise.

With its combination of performance and economy, diesel power has proved a popular option: in fact it is the best-selling model in the UK. The new BMW X5 3.0d features the second-generation common rail diesel engine, producing 218 bhp (previously 184 bhp) and a huge 500 Nm of torque (up from 410 Nm). From standstill, 100 km/h is reached in 8.3 seconds (1.8 seconds faster than its predecessor) whilst still delivering 8.6 liter per 100km (32.8 mpg) on the combined cycle. Top speed is 208 km/h (up from 198 km/h), helped by the new six-speed manual gearbox featured as standard.

xDrive - action is better than reaction
BMW's new xDrive system enables the power and torque increases to be converted into usable traction in all driving situations. This completely new, intelligent four-wheel drive system, announced recently on the forthcoming X3, constantly varies drive between the front and rear axles, depending upon the traction requirements.


Using information from the wheel sensors and data collected from the DSC stability system, including the yaw rate and steering angle, xDrive predicts any loss of traction or tyre slippage and reacts in a few milliseconds. A mid-mounted, electrically controlled multi-disc clutch is used to distribute drive constantly between the front and rear wheels, varying the torque delivery to the wheels which most require it. This could be in a dynamic driving situation or, off-road, on a slippery surface or incline.

This contrasts with the four-wheel drive system of the outgoing BMW X5 which works on the basis of a fixed front-to-rear drive ratio, and uses only DSC traction control for critical interventions