BMW X5 goes hybrid
The petrol-electric drivetrain has been put into the X5 xDrive40e, where its efficiency benefits can have the biggest impact. Official tests have recorded average fuel consumption of 85.6mpg, but the EU’s current tests fail to take into account the electricity used by the plug-in hybrid system.
That consumption measures 15.3kWh, but meaningful comparisons with miles per gallon have yet to be standardised in any European market.
To its credit, BMW has been honest about the likely 25-26mpg return owners will see after longer motorway cruises when the batteries are flat.
Urban driving totalling around 15 miles, though, with the batteries regularly charged, should effectively return 94mpg with a careful driving style. The motors can operate independently at up to 75mph in the car’s ‘MAX eDrive’ mode and 44mph if the car is left in automatic mode.
CO2 emissions will, under the current rules, be a mere 77g/km, while performance stats reveal a top speed of 130mph and the ability to sprint to 62mph in 6.8 seconds.
An eight-speed automatic gearbox will be standard. The propulsion batteries will be housed under the boot floor, taking just a little boot space away and reducing it to a still-impressive 500 litres.
An 85-litre fuel tank gives the X5 xDrive40e a long cruising range and its off-road performance should be unaffected thanks to the presence of the same four-wheel drive system that all X5s feature.
The hybrid X5 should be capable of 19 miles under electric power and has a cluster of systems designed to cut energy usage elsewhere to increase the available energy for propulsion. It will go on sale in autumn with prices to be confirmed in the summer.
