BMW has announced its inaugural iX5 – the first all-electric version of the German brand’s X5 large SUV – will be fitted with the largest battery ever offered in a BMW when it arrives in Northern Hemisphere showrooms in 2027.
The luxury car market leader confirmed the iX5 will include a 144kWh ‘Gen6’ lithium-ion battery in the M60 model grade in North America, and a 141kWh version in Europe – the largest battery yet fitted to a BMW electric vehicle (EV).
The new pack eclipses the size of the largest battery fitted to the current electric Porsche Cayenne, which is 113kWh, and the 90.5kWh battery in the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV sold in Australia.
While BMW did not reveal the iX5’s range on a single charge, the brand’s similarly sized iX electric SUV currently sold in Australia uses a 108.8kWh battery and offers up to 616km of WLTP range.
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The new iX5’s power output has been confirmed at 425kW, only 30kW shy of the most potent M60 version of the existing iX, alongside detailed outputs for other models across the new-generation X5/iX5 lineup.
The new ‘G65’ X5 and iX5 will adopt ‘Neue Klasse’ tech from the smaller iX3 unveiled last year – due in Australia this month – and the upcoming i3 electric sedan, which includes a flagship M3 variant.
BMW will offer the M3 in both internal-combustion and battery-electric forms, having ruled out a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), as it continues to offer a broad range of powertrains across its model lineup.
That philosophy sees BMW offering five powertrain types across the X5/iX5 range. All will be built at the company’s Spartanburg plant in the US, with petrol, diesel and electric variants sharing the same underpinnings.
BMW has not confirmed when the new lineup will arrive in Australia, nor which variants will be offered locally, but based on previous launch timings the X5 and iX5 could reach local showrooms before the end of next year.
The X5 is a critical model here, ranking as the brand’s third-best seller behind the X1/iX1 small SUV and the X3/iX3 mid-size SUV.
It is currently battling the Land Rover Discovery for the lead in the large premium SUV segment, with both comfortably ahead of the Lexus RX and Audi Q7.
In 2028, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen is scheduled for launch using BMW’s third-generation fuel-cell technology, a ‘Hydrogen Flat Storage’ system and a high-voltage battery, with further details yet to be confirmed.
BMW’s latest announcement also included outputs for the entry-level X5 40 xDrive, confirmed at 294kW, representing a 14kW increase over the current model sold in Australia.
The new X5 50e PHEV has also been confirmed with the same 360kW output as the current model, while the lineup will be available with alloy wheels measuring up to 23 inches in diameter.
Adaptive suspension will be standard across the range, featuring continuously adjustable dampers, while PHEV and iX5 models will be available with optional Adaptive Chassis Control Professional.
This package adds air suspension with electronically controlled dampers, Integral Active Steering and active roll-stabilisation systems.
As with other Neue Klasse BMWs, the brand’s ‘Heart of Joy’ high-speed computing architecture will be used to process these systems, along with powertrain, charging and brake-energy recuperation functions, which are said to react up to 10 times faster than before.
The processor will also support Level 2 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), including ‘Entry-to-Exit’ assistance on motorways and ‘Address-to-Address’ assistance in urban environments.
In addition to the upcoming X5 and iX5, BMW is set to target off-road buyers after patenting a ladder-frame chassis – the preferred format for serious off-road vehicles – as it develops a rival to the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.