German luxury car giant BMW upped the competition in India when it launched it’s ‘Made-in-India’ new generation SUV, the X5. Designed to outdo itself, yet again; the versatility of the all-new BMW X5 delivers increased spaciousness, unparalleled comfort and enhanced driving pleasure. Ammar Alvi takes a closer look.
The third generation BMW’s ‘Sports Activity Vehicle’, the all- new X5, was launched in India recently by none other than ex cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. The BMW X5 xDrive30d will be locally produced at BMW Plant Chennai in diesel variant and will be available at BMW dealerships across India from June 2014 onwards.
Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India says, “The BMW X5 — the founder of the Sports Activity Vehicle segment and globally best-selling car in its class is entering a new chapter in its successful history. The third-generation BMW X5 sees BMW once again setting the benchmark for powerful design, interior spaciousness and luxury, versatility, driving pleasure, efficiency and innovative equipment features.” The all-new BMW X5 comes with oodles of new features and design elements. Its expressive front with Adaptive LED Headlights and the athletic side contours generate a masculine look that’s beyond comparison. Air resistance is no match for the sophisticated aerodynamics of the all- new BMW X5 that greatly improve the air flow. The wind turbulence at the front wheel arches is greatly reduced thanks to the Air Curtain on the front apron and the Air Breather at the front wheel arches. Aerodynamically enhanced exterior mirrors and the aeroblade on the rear also deliver the lowest drag coefficient in its class. Inside the cockpit, all the controls, such as the iDrive Touch Controller, are fully geared towards the driver and the overall clarity of the design is pleasure to behold. The all-new BMW X5 also comes with a two-part tailgate to provide easy access to smaller luggage items and the lower section opens up to create a platform capable of supporting up to 250 Kg. The rear seatback can be reclined in a 40:20:40 split and can also be completely folded down to increase the compartment capacity to a massive 1870 litres.
The BMW TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder in-line 3.0 litre diesel engine combines CommonRail direct injection and a turbo charger with variable turbine geometry to deliver a power output of 258 hp and an impressive torque of 560 Nm. It takes just 6.9 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 km/hr and the top speed is 230 km/h. The all India ex-showroom price of the BMW X5 xDrive30d Design Pure Experience is `70, 90,000 and we are hoping that it might give it’s competition a run for their money.
BMW X5
Engine: 3.0 litre diesel; 258 bhp
Top Speed: 0-100 6.9 seconds;
230 km/h
Price: Rs 70 lakh
(ex showroom)
AUDI Q7
Engine: 3.0 litre TDI;
241 bhp
Top Speed: 0-100 7.8 seconds;
215 km/h
Price: Rs 60.3 lakh
(ex showroom)