Development of BMW’s next-gen X5 has moved on from the frozen roads of northern Europe to the Nürburgring race track where we snagged another mule covering its true self under a body mostly made up of the current’s cars panels.
We say mostly, because the front end of this tester, as well as the tailgate and rear bumper assembly, are sourced from BMW’s prototype parts bin. That said, there’s nothing we can take from the car’s appearance at this stage, as we’ll have to wait for regular prototypes to hit the road, though, some reports have hinted at a sportier shape due to the appearance of the larger X7.
The big secret and the reason why this test mule exists in the first place is hidden under the body, as engineers are evaluating and tweaking a new lighter platform based on BMW’s Cluster Architecture (CLAR) that first appeared in the latest 7-Series, and which will also be used in an array of models, from the next X3 and 5-Series, all the way up to the even larger X7 SUV, reported to enter production sometime between 2018 and 2019.
This new platform mixes high-strength steel, aluminum and carbon fiber, offering increased structural rigidity and enormous benefits in weight-saving over the current X5, improving handling, performance and fuel efficiency.
Powering the new X5 will be BMW’s latest four and six cylinder diesel and gasoline engines, with twin-turbo V8 gasoline mills making their appearance in the xDrive50i and X5M models. There will also be successors to today’s M550d high-performance diesel and xDrive40e plug-in hybrid models.
The new X5 isn’t expected before 2018 or 2019 (possibly entering the North American market as a 2019MY), but in the meantime, BMW is readying the current F15-codenamed X5 for its first facelift, which should appear within the next 12 months.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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