Say hello to…
…the BMW X5 in plug-in hybrid form. Power for the luxury SUV comes from a twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol engine coupled to a 29.5kWh battery and motor that has an official EV range of 60 miles. Together the power output is 313hp which results in a slightly phenomenal 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds, but also an official (and slightly unrealistic in the real world) mpg figure of 313mpg.
BMW only offers the X5 plug-in hybrid – which it calls 50e – in M Sport trim.
Standard equipment includes air suspension, luggage net, auto headlights with high beam assist, LED headlights, three-zone climate control, powered and heated sports seats, cruise control with brake function, 20-inch alloys and park assist.
Is The BMW X5 Suitable For My Fleet
Any sensible company car driver that can’t or won’t make a fully electric car work for their needs is opting for the next best thing – in terms of the benefit-in-kind tax position – an choosing a plug-in hybrid. To capitalise on that BMW is offering the X5 as a PHEV.
What’s impressive is that in our test the EV range was typically about 56 miles (less than 10% off the official stat), which is far better than many other PHEVs we’ve driven. With the official EV range above 40 miles, the X5 falls into the 8% BIK tax band, too.
Also good was the real world petrol fuel consumption, which came in above 40mpg and included a large proportion of motorway miles where the battery was of little assistance.
In terms of practicality, as a large SUV has plenty of room for five adults and a huge 500 litre boot.
Leasing a BMW X5
Intelligent Car Leasing is offering the BMW X5 50e for £1,150 a month on a 3+36 contract with 20,000 miles a year. Maintenance costs are forecast at £120 a month, according to Gensen Reports. And thanks to a hefty £80,000 list price before options, the Class 1A NIC comes in at £67 a month.
Driving A BMW X5
If you’re leasing a car for more than £1,000 a month, you have every right to be fussy and demand perfection.
BMW understands this with the X5 and offered a car that is outrageously capable in almost every respect.
Climb into the cabin and you’re greeted with luxury BMW, which in its current guise is a clean look dominated by a large curved infotainment touchscreen and minimal buttons. The iDrive controller remains plus a few flush buttons in the central arm rest area. The materials used are all very high grade and have perfect fit and finish.
The only are to come in for criticism is BMW’s current infotainment software. There are a bewildering number of apps within the system and finding and then memorising the location of the functions you want to access regularly – such as turning off any and all warning sounds for lane departure and speed limit changes or transgressions – is too difficult to master within a week.
Fortunately this is the only real negative point to the car and one that with longer use could probably be overcome.
On the move, the X5 is impressive.
Firstly, the fact the electric power can drive the car for more than 50 miles means that if you’re using the X5 for a shorter commute and able to charge at home or work, then you’ll see amazing fuel efficiency. And under electric power the car is also totally refined.
Go beyond the initial charge and the engine is also incredibly smooth and quiet on a cruise. Only if you accelerate harder can the engine be heard and even then the straight six unit sounds good.
Ride comfort is also impressive – something almost all current BMW models have sorted very well. The X5 copes exceedingly well with the UK’s pothole-strewn roads with minimal suspension noise reaching the cabin.
Tackle your favourite B-road and the X5’s body control is very well judged. You get a sense of the car’s size and weight, but only to better inform how the car behaves, rather than in a negative way that would upset passengers or stop you having fun.
In short, the X5 is all the car you’d ever really need offering, for its type, strong efficiency, great comfort, an involving drive and loads of luxurious practicality.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The BMW X5
The higher the price, the closer a car should be to greatness. BMW has completely understood this with the X5 plug-in hybrid.
BMW X5
- Model: X5 xDrive 50e M Sport
- Power: 313hp
- Torque: 700Nm
- Max speed: 155mph
- 0-62mph: 4.8 s
- Official mpg: 313.9 mpg
- Test mpg: 40.3mpg
- Official EV range: 60 miles
- Test EV range: 56 miles
- CO2 emissions: 20g/km
- BIK tax band 2024/25: 8%
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