U Spy 2019 BMW X5 Getting Freeway Time In Atlanta

Back in November, we saw two next-gen X5 SUVs outside BMW‘s Spartanburg facility wearing a very tight and revealing type of camouflage.

Those prototypes had South Carolina plates and as it turns out, these two, spotted on I-85 north in Atlanta, have SC plates too, so it’s possible that they were actually heading back to Spartanburg, which is 174 miles north-east of Atlanta, and the I-85 is the most direct way to get there.

Now, assuming we’ve solved that little mystery, let’s get back to talking about what we can expect from the 2019 X5.

As you can see, these prototypes are wearing the same type of camouflage as the Spartanburg ones from last year, as well as the same two-tone wheels and possibly even some M Sport bits. The new X5 will undoubtedly look less chunky than its predecessor, and will feature more aggressive design lines.

Underneath the bodywork is BMW’s CLAR (cluster architecture) modular platform, which also underpins the all-new 5-Series and 7-Series. This also means that the 2019 X5 will weigh less than the outgoing model, with rumors placing it at 250-300 kg (550-660 lbs) lighter.

Powering all four wheels will be a similar crop of petrol and diesel units to those currently serving the 5 and 7-Series. We can also expect a plug-in hybrid model to surface, as well as a twin-turbo V8 model with an M badge and upwards of 600 HP.

The all-new 2019 BMW X5 will most likely be unveiled towards the end of this year.

Big thanks to Dylan for the pictures!