While there wasn’t a great deal wrong with the way the old X5 handled, one thing it didn’t do with any aplomb was ride. And the new one? Big 19-inch wheels, run-flat tyres and… actually, it’s very good. Forget the harshness of the old model; the new X5 has a suppleness and maturity to the way it goes down the road that’s every bit a match for a Range Rover Sport or Mercedes ML, despite the fact that our test model rode on optional sports suspension.
It corners better than both the Merc and the Range Rover, too. BMW says the new X5 is “a driver’s car” – which is stretching the point a bit for a 2.2-tonne, 1.8m-tall vehicle – but it’s definitely the best car in this class to punt along a twisty road. The double wishbone front suspension is said to respond to road inputs more quickly than the old struts, and the X5 certainly has a confidence and ability that you’d need a Porsche Cayenne to better. It steers accurately, responds well and its body movements are tightly controlled. All this was no doubt helped on our test car by the (optional) Adaptive Drive anti-roll bars, which hydraulically stiffen in corners to reduce roll. Although this is still no sports car, the grip and traction it found on MIRA’s wet handling circuit are enough for it to see off a Porsche Cayman S.
What the X5 won’t do is go as far off road as some of its rivals. BMW doesn’t hide the fact that this car has been developed for on-road use, but it still has a 25-degree approach angle, a 24-degree departure angle and a 19.7-degree break-over angle as well as a wade depth of 500mm. It also runs on hybrid Bridgestone Dueller tyres. Look beneath it and you’ll see a virtually flat underbody, too, with the exhaust hidden in a cavity. There’s even hill descent control, but BMW admits its xDrive 4wd system, which features an electronic central clutch allied to the DSC system, is tuned to maximise on-road traction at the expense of off-road capability.