BMW X5

2015 BMW X5M Review

We are all well versed with the utility aspect of an SUV as its larger dimensions effectively mean squeezing more people along with more luggage space. They are the perfect solution for the weekend getaways or the occasional commute to a particular point where you need to haul great deal of luggage. While everything about them is good, functional and wise, they lack the enthusiasm of a fast car.

“Fast car?” Now that surely raises a question on my sensibility to compare two different types of vehicles but luckily, there is a company which supports my belief. BMW, a brand associated with premium cars, has an M – Motorsport division and their responsibilities are as simple as a typical teenager. They take normal cars and inject them with an extreme dose of performance, adrenaline and enthusiasm to make them go fast…real fast.

The X5M is one such vehicle endorsing a fact that SUVs can be made to behave like sports cars provided they have an ‘M’ badge etched on them. So how does a family mover feel when the ambience goes blur at eye wetting speeds, we find out in our first impression report.

With a virtue of being an M car, there are some familiar traits that you see on all the beings of its high performance portfolio. The front face has an aggressive profile and looks extremely busy with those sharply cut headlights. The flared kidney grille, with a chrome surround, gets vertical slats done in gloss black. The fog lamps are placed neatly just beneath the grille. Making a larger impact on the front profile has to be the large intakes with the central zone occupying the maximum space followed by the smaller side air pockets. They not just look smashing indeed but also contribute to the cooling of the engine.

To the side, it gets a mono volume window line with a constant profile. The wheel arches have a distinct profile with a slightly protruding type design. It also features a side gill blade with a chrome garnish along with the model branding and this too is a functional addition. The X5 M boldly sits on M-specific 20-inch light-alloy wheels and they make the silhouette look extremely dynamic.

The wedge line running across the length slits the side profile and joins the rear at the tail light. The ride height sits tall at 195mm of ground clearance. Since it is based on the X5, the reminiscence is striking which except for the addition of side skirts, fancy wheels and side blades look the same. Even when seen from the rear quarter view, the power stance of the BMW X5M is impressive as it stands upright and tall.

The upper half of the rear profile plainly mimics the standard X5, it is the lower half which sets it apart. Firstly, it gets vertically placed rear reflectors which is also seen on the other M SUV and secondly, it gets the quintessential quad pipes to play the dreamy hoarse orchestra of power music. The rear air diffuser also adds to the functionality aspect.

The interiors of BMW X5M do great justice to the gorgeous outside. They are meant to be premium and with the use of upmarket materials and trims, BMW has managed to strike the right chords. Surely, the target audience will love it provided they want the best of both worlds of performance and luxury.

The wide running dashboard has been divided with multiple layers, The layer on top featured the large infotainment screen that displays a world of options including setting the right drive mode, navigation, accessing vehicle information, changing settings and also has a performance display mode showing the real time power and torque produced by means of a digitally created analog display. The only hold up is that the operation of this can only be done by the iDrive jog dial. If only this was touch screen, it would have been so better.

Coming to the comfort of the BMW X5M, the seats are bolstered well and if you choose the M-edition seats, you might have to hit the gym if you are on the healthy side. The support and bolsters on the side hold the occupants with a proper grip taking care of not letting them slip away during tight maneuvers. The headroom and legroom for taller passengers is comfortable. Moving to the rear, the knee room is just adequate but the generous headroom makes a lot of difference. In addition, sun roof comes as standard on the X5M for that airy cabin feel.

The rich quality of Alcantara leather leave an impression unlike any other as the well stitched seats in red highlighting the performance side along with the M badging make it feel adventurous from inside as well. This can be seen on the cluster and also on the three-spoke steering wheel with multifunction controls on it.

They have also taken care of the practicality aspect by giving sufficient storage options thought the cabin be it the large glove box, central console, door trims or even the large boot space. In fact, the boot space is very generous and can swallow a long weekend worth luggage without any hesitation.

They all look carved out of enthusiasm and feel absolutely great inside but what separates the M cars from the usual bunch are the insane figures churned out under the long muscular hood. Strapped inside the bay is a 4.4-litre V8 motor that uses M TwinPower Turbo technology.

This beasty of a motor which is again shared with its sports coupe sibling makes a mind numbing 575 hp available at a peak engine speed of 6000 to 6500 rpm. If that piece of information has not impressed you already, then the foot thumping torque of 750 Nm made available at a mere 2200 rpm will surely do the needful.

Get the motor cranked up by the electric start button mounted on the dashboard and the growling engine note is cautioning of the exciting scheme of things lined ahead. BMW claims to have worked extensively on the new exhaust manifolds giving it a power bump of four percent and raising the torque further up by ten percent.

Now that the new motor makes use of a TwinTurbo unit, there is no lag felt as the mouthful of 750 Nm of torque is available at a low rpm which holds on to its peak until it reaches 5000 rpm, making the drive experience extremely engaging and enthusiastic. Though, the X5 M weighs considerably higher but the abundant power delivery hauls this 2.3-tonne SUV from standstill to fast motion in no time.

The aspect that we loved the most about this zippy family mover is the potential of the engine to keep revving all the way across the red line. This offers a wide range of engine speed to play around with. Unlike the typical thought about TwinTurbo units, there is lag of any sort felt on this unit.

Also, this time the task of controlling all that massive amounts of power and torque has been endowed on a eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with drivelogic. This unit has amazing shift quality and makes shifting from one cog to another a breezy job. The shift points can be altered manually with a setting which allows the engine to hold on to a particular engine speed for really long.

So to conclude our first impression report of the 2015 BMW X5M, it looks very sporty and has also the M-badges you need to make it look fast. Inside, the interiors blend in comfort and performance with the right levels of practicality and the 4.4-litre V8 engine, with an acceleration timing of 0 to 100 kmph in 4.2 seconds, screams of its performance side. All of which translates into one things viz., if you want a practical car to go to office on weekdays and want to pull out crazy doughnuts on weekends, the BMW X5M is made for your kinds.