With BMW‘s X5 xDrive40e breaking cover officially a few days ago, the entire landscape of the plug-in hybrid premium SUV market might change dramatically over the course of the next couple of years.
With cars such as the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid and the all-new Audi Q7 e-tron, BMW will have their work cut out convincing people to stay away from their rivals and try out their 309 HP eco-friendly SUV. By the way, let’s not forget that Volvo has a horse in this race as well.
The X5 xDrive40e’s powertrain helps it achieve a combined fuel consumption of 3.4-3.3 l/100km and 78-77g’s worth of CO2 emissions per km. That’s pretty much what you get with the Cayenne S E-Hybrid so really, it might come down to pricing and brand loyalty. Plus, the Porsche is also quicker in a straight line.
As for the Audi Q7 e-tron, we’re impressed with their numbers a quite a lot more since they’re using a diesel engine instead of a petrol one.
But while we’re waiting for the X5 xDrive40e to show up in more than just one video presentation, right now we’ll have to settle for this BMW UK clip, showing off a few of the X5’s curves, badging, engine bay and so on.
Overall, it’s a good looking car which also happens to make a lot of sense if you’re in the market for a brand new premium SUV.