The obvious interior change for the second generation X5 is the addition of two extra pews, but these are not standard. For those who see the need, the cost is an extra £1030 and the loss of a 90-litre under-boot cavity.
To improve third-row access, the middle seats slide via a release lever conveniently placed on the outside shoulder back, and the mechanism is counterbalanced to make sliding the seats in either direction equally effortless. BMW recommends the rearmost seats are suitable for passengers up to 1.7m in height – about 5ft 7in – but even this is a squeeze. Boot space ranges from 200 litres to 1750 litres, which is less than the longer Audi Q7 and Merc GL provide, and marginally less than the Volvo XC90. The middle-row accommodation is adequate if not exceptional.
The business end of the cabin has been modernised, but retains the classic BMW hallmarks: clear dials, excellent driving position, supportive seats (although adjustable lumbar support is a £255 option) and excellent ergonomics.
The clutter-free surfaces and distinct lack of buttons mean one thing: iDrive has finally found its way into the X5, complete with its usual mix of benefits and foibles, but with the additional convenience of eight ‘favourite’ buttons.
The now familiar (and widely emulated) iDrive control wheel is accompanied by an equally modern piece of design: a gear selector that juts from the central tunnel like a shard of glass. Similar to BMW’s (and Mercedes’) column-mounted controls, this new selector returns to its centre position after you’ve chosen the direction of travel, saving cabin space.
The parking brake is now electronic and operated by a toggle-style switch on the transmission tunnel. There’s now also the option of a head-up display and a parking camera to supplement the standard-fit front and rear parking sensors.