Tag Archives: x5

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BMW To Launch iNext EV Models By 2023

According to an announcement made in Munich last year, BMW is ramping up its production of electric vehicles and plans on bringing them to market sooner than previously announced.

By 2023, BMW will significantly expand its lineup of electrified vehicles and add 25 new options for consumers after sustainable luxury vehicles.

Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming generation of new BMW EV models.

BMW’s New Electric Vehicles Getting Ready for Market

The new vehicles will be part of the BMW i sub-brand, which already includes vehicles like the i3 city car and i8 plug-in hybrid. More than half of the 25 new vehicles will be fully electrified, with many of the others being a hybrid version of existing models. 

Among the vehicles is the BMW iNext, which was announced in 2018, and is currently expected to arrive on the market in 2021. BMW is also expected to roll out the i4, the i3’s successor, sometime that year.

BMW also plans to launch a range of new plug-in electric hybrid versions of the BMW 3 series, 7 series, and X5. The company is also planning a China-exclusive plug-in hybrid version of the X1, as well as new hybrid versions of the 2 series and 5 series. A European and U.S. version of the hybrid X1 is getting ready for production.

Other EVs expected to arrive before 2023 include a fully-electric Mini, manufactured in England, and an electric version of the X3 crossover called the iX3 that is designed for the Chinese market.

BMW Press

The EV Timetable

Previously, the company had planned to have all of these EVs on the market by 2025 at the earliest. Now, however, BMW is accelerating its electric strategy, and plans to have the cars ready by 2023 

The accelerated timetable is based on the success of the company’s current electric and hybrid vehicles, BMW claims it will have doubled its sale of electric vehicles by 2021, compared to its 2019 numbers, and the continued growth of BMW’s EV sales numbers.

The advanced production is also likely in part due to BMW’s new scalable vehicle architecture, which allows the company to swap in a BEV or PHEV powertrain into any vehicle that uses the new architecture.

BMW hasn’t said yet whether or not it will remain committed to further electric vehicle development in the near future — but if current market trends hold, and EVs remain as profitable as they’ve been for BMW, it’s likely that we’ll see even more EVs be announced in the near future.

Businesses across the automotive industry are pivoting to electric, resulting in large-scale production of everything from electric trucks to e-buses — EV market growth suggests that there is definitely room for additional BMW EVs.

BMW Prepping 25 EVs for Launch by 2023

The quicker arrival of the new electric vehicles, which were planned to arrive on the market by 2025, is likely a good sign for those wanting more EVs from BMW. 

The 25 new cars include both hybrids and fully-electric vehicles and demonstrate the flexibility of BMW’s new architecture, which could make developing new EV variant models even easier in the future.

A few of the cars that are planned for launch will be exclusive to the Chinese market, but there’s no reason to believe that they won’t eventually be exported to the US and European markets.

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Can You Tow With a BMW?

BMW, the ultimate towing machine! Not familiar? Perhaps not. Bavaria’s famed automaker is better known for Hoffmeister kinks and persnickety gearboxes than for stump-pulling proficiency. So you might be surprised to learn that not only do BMW SUVs tow, they do it quite well.

Vehicle dynamics have long been the forte of the blue-and-white brand, and while you’re predisposed to think of dynamics as the way your M3 rotates when you chuck it into a 90-degree right, it’s the very same set of principles that informs the way your X5 behaves when pulling the family motorcraft. Naturally, BMW has taken all they know about building surefooted, smooth-riding cars and translated it into confident, capable towing machines.

Serious Tug

Boating magazine recently published a review of the BMW X5 as a tow/haul vehicle. It received numerous compliments, not only for its capable towing, but also for offering boat owners a driving experience that is noticeably more comfortable than that of a domestic-market pickup. While diesel Fords, Chevys and Dodges have added semi-truck levels of torque to their outputs, the BMW’s powerful V8 and robust suspension package make it a worthy competitor for all but the largest oceangoing boats with its 6,000-pound tow rating and 4,000-pound payload capacity.

Smaller oceangoing craft and riverboats should be no problem for the burly X5, which you can also have in diesel flavor with a wonderful compression-ignition powerplant that delivers a hearty 413 foot-pounds of torque, sure to make your trailer feel feathery on the highway. All X5s enjoy 15.2-inch front and 13.6-inch rear ventilated disc brakes in a testament to what a serious towing machine this is. Lots of vehicles offer the power output needed to pull a trailer, but making it safe and controlled to slow all that moving mass is what separates the ultimate driving machine from its lesser competition.

Don’t Forget About Little Sister

You’ll find the same exceptional road manners that make the X5 a capable tow vehicle in the more affordable, more compact X3 for city-going outdoor aficionados and anyone with an active lifestyle. Even in four-cylinder guise, the Twinpower four-cylinder on the base model X3 develops 258 foot-pounds of torque, enough to enable a payload capacity of nearly 1,000 pounds and the ability to tow 4,400 pounds. That’s plenty to haul your small trailer or camper or a pair of watercraft or snowmobiles. It’s the perfect solution for nearly all those who want the ability to tow, but won’t rely on their BMW strictly for towing, and can appreciate the versatility of a crossover.

Plus, You Still Get a BMW!

Seldom do you hear anyone heaping praise onto the full-sized pickup segment for being nimble, responsive backroads dancers with supportive seats and well-placed controls. That’s more a BMW thing. While these cars are capable tow vehicles, they’re also very much BMWs. You’ll enjoy every day of ownership with your tow-package-equipped Bimmer, not just the ones where you visit the lake or pull a trailer.

Consider how often you need to tow. Wouldn’t it be nice to find a vehicle that can comfortably perform the role of tow vehicle while at the same time swaddling you in luxury and offering class-leading performance that makes it a joy to drive? That is precisely what we have in the X line of SUVs. BMW has found success with the suburban market already, but these cars have gone underappreciated as thoroughbreds for some time. The secret’s out now, so don’t be surprised if one of your Ford- or Dodge-driving pals asks you next time they see you, “Can I take your X5 for a spin?”

Press Release

M Performance Parts for your BMW X5

Want to add some style to your BMW X5?  BMW is releasing a full set of M Performance Parts to help personalize your vehicle.  Many people think that BMW has diluted that “M” so it now stands for marketing instead of motorsports.   People often forget though that BMW is in the business to sell cars and if they have to make some performance “inspired” parts for all their vehicles to sell some more cars… so be it.  Development of the full range of M Performance Parts has always drawn on the extensive motor racing expertise of BMW M GmbH. All components are perfectly matched – both with each other and with the specific properties of each model. In this way, they not only give the vehicle concerned a more striking, dynamic appearance but also serve a functional purpose. The features have a positive impact on the vehicle’s aerodynamic properties, for instance, or contribute additionally to the intelligent lightweight concept. 

The M Performance exterior components in carbon fibre are especially effective in creating a particularly striking look in the BMW X5 that is clearly inspired by motor racing. They are all characterised by the honeycomb structure that is so typical of carbon fibre reinforced plastic. Finished by hand and sealed with a clear finish, the components are given a final high-gloss polish for an impressive depth effect. For example, the air intake trim element for the standard bumper and the front winglets not only visually enhance the front section, they also highlight the breadth of the SAV model. At the rear, the same applies to the rear winglets and the rear diffuser. 

For the first time ever, BMW M is offering all-terrain tires on the X5. 
For customers who prefer to highlight and make use of the off-road capabilities, there are now 20” M light alloy wheel Star Spoke 748 M with all-terrain tires is now available for the fourth generation of the BMW X5. 
The specific rim design combined with the striking tread design of the all-terrain tire reflects both robustness and stability.  Optional 22-inch tires are also available for customers, that include a set of wheels from the M Performance Parts range. The 22″ M Performance light alloy wheel Start Spoke 749 M with rolled rim well (flow forming) is about one kilogram lighter than a comparable wheel of the same size due to the special manufacturing technique used. All in all, the unsprung masses are reduced by approx. four kilograms as a result, which impacts positively on driving dynamics and turn-in response.