Revised 2024 BMW X5 and X6 are now all-hybrid
BMW has facelifted its X5 and X6 crossovers and added mild-hybrid electrification to the entire range for the 2024 model year.
Restyling is limited to the front and rear of both cars, where you’ll narrower headlamps with arrow-shaped daytime driving lights that double up as turn signals. BMW continues to update its trademark kidney grille, which gets a new sculpted surround and the option of being illuminated. The X5’s front apron is tweaked with new vents, the side panel breathers are tweaked, and there are new rear lights with a fiber-optic element to creates an X shape. The X6 now comes with a standard M Sport package, with a more aggressive front, plenty of gloss black trim, and special side skirts.
Interior designers have added a main curved display, tinkered with the cabin lighting to offer up to 15 different colors, and also introduced a new synthetic leather “Sensafin” material for the dash and seats, which differs from the long-running “Sensatec.”
The biggest changes are under the hood, however, with every model now including a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. A 12-hp electric motor integrates with the eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission and also turns out an additional 147 lb-ft of torque, functioning as a starter-generator. For three-liter xDrive40i models the six-cylinder inline motor has been updated with new camshaft control, fuel injection, ignition, and exhaust gas routing to make the combustion process more efficient. The result is a 40-hp hike over the outgoing models, with a total of 375 horsepower now available. That’s sufficient to dispatch both X5 and X6 versions to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds.
The flagship M60i xDrive cars are powered by a newly-developed version of BMW’s 4.4-liter V-8 engine featuring a cross-bank exhaust manifold, a pair of bank-symmetrical turbochargers, and external engine oil cooling. A reinforced crankshaft drive, further developed turbocharging with a blow-off valve, a new oil pump, and a lighter oil sump are also in play to offer up a total of 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, and shaving exactly one second off the six-cylinder’s 0-60 mph time.
The plug-in hybrid xDrive50e couples a 308-hp version of the inline-six with a 194-hp electric motor and splits the difference by taking 4.6 seconds to reach 60 mph from rest. It can also travel up to 40 miles on battery power alone. As the e-motor doesn’t make much noise BMW has included something called IconicSounds Electric which plays a Hans Zimmer soundtrack that responds to every movement of the accelerator.
BMW’s boffins have also come up with some new driver aids. There’s Integral Active Steering, as standard, which steers the rear wheels to improve agility and maneuverability, while buyers who opt for the Driving Assistant Professional Package can go hands-free on limited access highways at speeds of up to 85 mph. When you get to your destination the optional Parking Assistant Professional can maneuver the car into a spot, either with you sitting in it, or by being remotely-controlled from an iPhone.
The new X5 and X6 will be built in Spartanburg, South Carolina from April 2023 and prices begin at $66,195 for the rear-drive X5 sDrive40i, rising to $94,595 for the X6 M60i.
