The 2019 BMW X5 can do a lot more now

The M50i and M40i both have a top speed of over 150 km / h (the M50i is apparently 5 mph faster). The M50i goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and the M40i gets it in 5.3 seconds, which is just as good as a 4,000-pound SUV.

The Blue Phytonic Blue Metallic X5 xDrive M40i you see on the pictures was also equipped with a set of amenities including a four-zone air conditioner and keyless entry, active driving assistance, ventilated and massaging seats, a set differential, a premium package with WiFi, head-up display, parking assistance, wireless phone charging, gesture control and 3D surround view, and an executive package with remote start, soft close doors, blinds and adaptive LED lights.

It also offered a leather dashboard option, active steering, 21-inch wheels, M Sport brakes, heated seats and HEATING ARMS and a special sound configuration.

Off road

BMW opted for an imposing, swampy wooded course just outside of Atlanta as the main stage of the 2019 X5, to show what the new off-road package could offer. Technically, the kit includes an auto-leveling air suspension (which is also set to lower when the liftgate is open for easy loading, etc.), a lockable rear differential and under-protection at the rear of the car. 39, before and at the back. to serve the same purpose as the cup I wore in karate class.

It also includes a button to select the four modes of driving, which includes the four sexes. sand, gravel, rocks and snow, as well as a button for its newly improved variable descent control.

BMW has also designed the adaptive suspension of the new X5 with electric swing motors that help balance the body for better bearing stability and, in its highest setting, the suspension can increase the 8.7-inch ground clearance at 10.3 inches. Compare that to the maximum clearance of 8.2 inches from the outgoing X5, up to 9.4 inches from the Audi Q7, up to 10.8 inches from the Jeep Grand Cherokee and 11 inches from the Range Rover Sport. No class, but better now.

In practice, we used the xRocks driving mode to navigate a series of steep, tight hills, woven between trees. Even on the Pirelli P Zero performance tires, grip was never a problem of trekking through a dense mud that had rained that morning, and up and down hills of 30 to 40 degrees (according to the X5's off-road reading screen).

Here's exactly how BMW set us up for our muddy, rugged and sometimes rocky 20-minute journey: You turn the driving mode into xRocks, move the transmission into its manual setting and use the paddle to switch to second gear, make sure if the suspension is raised to the maximum height (it should automatically do so with the driving mode) and press the descent control button, which you can then adjust at maximum speed to use the left handwheel dial.

And it's gone. I would say that the X5 was very funny, with a lot of groaning mechanical noises that were actually very satisfying, at least as long as the X5 behaved as I had asked. It was almost so easy that I had time to think about it being an automated lap, and I quickly thought of Jurassic Park and imagined what a dinosaur would come out of nowhere to tear me apart. two.

By climbing steep slopes, you have a lot of control over the throttle, and a lot of power to accumulate gradually when you realize that your initial speed was just a little too slow. We had only one "incident" in our group of three X5 presses, where a single pilot could not get up on one of the muddy hills. They made the mistake of stopping about halfway – and the X5 suited them very well because they were going too slowly. Then we all had to go back dangerously into the woods to make room for twice.

A BMW representative came down from the hill and probably told them to hit him, and we all left. On a more technical hill, which was a steep slope with a tight left turn up and no real stop, the X5 slipped on a mixture of mud and rocks and I was able to effortlessly control the throttle trees and move on.

It was also very nice to be at the back of the group, as I could see it and try to avoid making the same mistakes and the less desirable routes that those who are before me.

The other really awesome thing we experienced in the off-road was the panoramic vision camera, where you could see exactly where the X5 was between the trees and the rocks, helping you adjust when you maneuvered.

In the end, the experience was really fun and the X5's systems were as good as you needed them for a casual off-roader that still leads a double life as a luxury family car. Nobody should reasonably expect this thing to make senseless climbs, you do not cross-race with a Wrangler or anything.

I would be interested to see how it works on different surfaces and at higher speeds, but it really impressed me, especially after taking the road and realized that the new off-road features also improved the experience of daily conduct.

What's great

Back on the road, the 2019 X5 took over the road and the strong performance of the first generation I drove and narrowed it in a sharper and faster format.

He drives as I like an SUV: I can shoot the gas and feel the weight shift of power, throw it through the corners without fearing for the life of me and the sprouting pins on the side of the road, and come I stop fast enough to hear all the wind that I move to catch me.

I do not remember the exhaust or the engine note, but it is probably to reduce the excessive noise of the cabin, which is already quite quiet. In the sporty driving style, electrically assisted steering feels as though it is 90 percent for reporters to be silent about electrically assisted steering. In manual mode, the speed will stay at the red line if you wish, and the self-leveling air suspension is a real challenge for the boat. It really looks like a well tuned car without getting too hard.

The interior is a great improvement if you have a negative perception of BMW interiors. Although it is still, yes, gray-gray everywhere (these wooden pads are a little brown, in full sun, if you increase saturation in a photo editor), the packaging is simpler and direct, and the technology is pretty good too.

The seventh version of BMW's iDrive has been enhanced with menu settings reorganized and grouped together. The touch buttons are now conveniently located to the left of the new large touch screen, instead of the old ways to access the dashboard. Is logical, is not it? It also offers bundled accessibility in BMW widgets, which you can customize endlessly for the most requested features that must appear on the "surface level" menu for quick access.

The new large, central touchscreen powers up the display of a new driver, although it is not a single screen attached. BMW has reconfigured the driver's display so that the speed and RPM indicators extend along the outer boundary, leaving more room for a larger navigation map and other information in the center. It works really well and I like that. I also like the fact that the air vents and the central volume knob make a face that looks like a cigarette.

Overall, the interior is simple, accessible and spacious, and I think a longer test would show a good balance between physical and digital controls.

Other remarks on what's good with the 2019 X5 are the split tailgate return, setting up comfortable rear seats for an entertainment package at the back, or any other object, like a hanger. I wonder how much a BMW trim costs. The functionality of the driving mode and the air suspension is also nice and adds a subtle layer of capability and comfort to a pleasant ride.

What is weak

Overall, I like the look of the 2019 X5, but getting closer, I realized that only one of the kidneys of the grille is bigger than my head, and I have a big head. If you look at a picture parked next to the X5 first generation, you have a decent idea of ​​the size of the fascia of this thing. It looks good in blue, but it looks really good in the white with dark wheels.

I'm afraid what will be the next BMW X7 in person.

Part of the overworked design was shocking inside the X5, while BMW now opts for crystal ornaments on the start-stop button, the gear selector and the iDrive button. They told us it was "real crystal", whatever that meant, and I'm not sure I like it. It feels like a strange healing rock in a shoebox under your loved one's bed, with a lock of what's probably your hair and a doll that looks like you, then you separate them and hope that their evil magic can not not really hurt you.

The Eco driving mode, which is never good on these points, is another small problem that I can not guarantee. As always, it eliminates any hope of power or professional success, which is not the message a BMW should convey.

I'm going to look for someone who actually uses Eco mode on his cars. They should not.

My last comment, since other magazines have covered the horrors incidental to BMW's gestural commands, is that you can disable them, and this should be a top priority. Want to point to the left to guide your driver? Good luck finding the radio station you were right on. Gesture control is like a dog that has learned specific keywords, such as "walk" or "eat," except with subtle hand movements and that there is no capacity for pity.

Early verdict

Despite some simple pitfalls, especially with the interior that has improved dramatically over the years, the 2019 BMW X5 is confident, fun and only slightly barren on the road, but it's really solid and even feels that it's beautiful.

The only other disadvantage is that America will probably not accept the diesel versions, but honestly, did this surprise give you everything that happened recently? Otherwise, the X5 we get is by far the most powerful generation of its medium-sized "sports car" that BMW has already sold.

The work that BMW claims to have done to improve off-road driving seems to have worked as expected, even though nobody intentionally buys rocky hills in the woods. But when it comes time to reverse the 1%, X5 owners can literally make us money if we're not careful.