BMW X5 xDrive45e 2019 Review

Changing the way we’ve powered cars for the best part of a century is like that old shampoo ad: It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

As part of that change, it’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) like the BMW X5 xDrive45e that will be the most important step the majority of us is likely to take in the near future.

The reason for that is kind of obvious when you think about it. Here is a car that can commute short distances on electric power alone, but will take us further – with familiar and readily-available fuel – when the whim takes us.

As such, plug-in hybrid vehicles don’t have the range limitations and associated anxiety of a pure electric car; and they don’t limit any aspect of your current vehicle use in the way a pure-electric vehicle can.

Of course, BMW isn’t the first manufacturer to walk the plug-in path – and indeed the X5 xDrive45e isn’t even BMW's first PHEV. In fact, there’ll soon be a plug-in hybrid version of (almost) every BMW model available.

The BMW X5 PHEV tested here is the German brand’s second full-size plug-in SUV and brings the greater range and increased performance that buyers of large prestige SUVs say they want. More is more, as they say.

For now, I’m going to bypass the arguments surrounding the sourcing of rare-earth materials and the associated environmental challenges associated with producing batteries and motors for electric cars; and I’ll ignore the fact that most of Australia’s electricity comes from non-renewable resources.

I’ll also disregard the fact there are no government incentives to purchase and operate an ‘environmentally friendlier’ vehicle, or that our aging electric grid probably can’t cope with charging hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles anyway.

All that aside, the capabilities of the new BMW X5 xDrive45e are actually pretty impressive. Depending on the measure (WLTP or NEDC), the big luxury PHEV SUV can drive 87 or 97km on electric power alone, which is more than triple that of the model it replaces.

At the same time, its claimed fuel consumption and CO2 emissions have been virtually halved. The combined fuel economy number is either 1.2L/100km (WLTP) or 1.7L/100km (NEDC) and its CO2 output is 27 or 39g/km respectively. On paper this is less than the most efficient conventional hybrid small cars you can buy.

BMW says that when running the X5 on average European power in the ‘use phase’ and when charging the car with green energy, its CO2 footprint is reduced by as much as 70 per cent. In plain terms that translates to combined power consumption of between 28.3 and 23.1kWh per kilometre (WLTP) or 23.5 and 21.5 kWh per 100 kilometres (NEDC).

Top speed on electric power alone jumps from 120 to 135 km/h.

The petrol powerplant in the BMW X5 xDrive45e is quite familiar. Under the bonnet a 210kW 3.0-litre turbo-petrol six joins an 83kW electric motor (set inside the transmission BMW co-developed with ZF Sachs) to generate generous total system outputs of 290kW/600Nm.

Electric power comes from a 24.0kWh lithium-ion battery; the transmission is an eight-speed automatic; and drive is to all four wheels is via BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system irrespective of the power source in use.

According to the official numbers, the BMW X5 xDrive45e will accelerate to 100km/h in 5.6sec (1.2sec less than its predecessor) and hit 235km/h with the taps fully opened, which is both quick and fast for an SUV this big and heavy.

The battery pack is located underneath the floor of the cargo area, reducing the luggage capacity of the xDrive45e by 150 litres compared to its conventionally-powered siblings. But cargo space is still 500 litres and expandable to 1720 litres with the rear seats folded. Fuel tank capacity is 69 litres.

The BMW X5 xDrive45e rides on double-wishbone and multi-link air-sprung suspension with electrically-controlled dampers front and rear, with integral active steering available optionally. Driver assistance and electronic chassis controls are all bespoke to the plug-in variant, which at 2510kg is 400kg heavier than the entry-spec X5 xDrive30d.

The plug-in hybrid X5 rides on 19x9.0-inch alloy wheels to offer a 12.6m turning circle. Braked towing capacity is rated at 2700kg -- 800kg less than the non-electrified X5 range.

At this point it’s unclear exactly how BMW will specify its X5 xDrive45e for the Australian market. But, if the model we tested here is anything to go by, it should be well kitted-out with the latest amenity, safety and connectivity features.

The passenger cabin is maintained at the right temperature thanks to auxiliary heating and air-conditioning when the engine is switched off, and the leather-clad electrically-adjustable and heated seats are likewise comfortable year-round.

Infotainment inclusions are familiar to the latest 3 Series and X5 ranges with standard and hybrid-specific Live Cockpit instrumentation offering eco-coaching tips, battery status and range information at a glance.

Wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity is available, as is inductive phone charging – no cables here.

Bluetooth connectivity is also standard, joining AM/FM/DAB radio reception, head-up display, a 10.5-inch centre touch-screen and familiar iDrive rotary-dial controller. The infotainment system is a cinch to use, and with built-in 4G connectivity impressively detailed when navigating foreign terrain.

Driver assistance technologies are expectedly top-notch and include speed-sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and blind-sport monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and autonomous emergency braking (to name only a few).

Keyless entry and start is likewise standard, joining (PHEV-specific) sat-nav, multi-zone climate control, voice control and self-parking technology with a really cool 3D camera system.

As we’ve already noted, the BMW X5 xDrive45e is a portly SUV. Depending on the variant you compare, it’s between 250-400kg heavier than its combustion-engined siblings, and that weight is felt when slicing through narrow Bavarian back-roads.

It’s not disconcerting in any way and, considering its mass, the body control offered by the adaptive air and electronic damper set-up is commendable. In all likelihood, most PHEV buyers will be too busy trying to best their eco score to be interested in driving the X5 xDrive45e like the proverbial go-kart, but it’s nice to know it has the grip to counter its bulk all the same.

Away from dynamics and the X5 xDrive45e is expectedly ‘BMW’. The ride is quiet and comfortable, in spite of the large diameter alloy wheels and run-flat tyres.

It may be a different story away from Munich’s billiard-table-smooth roads, but on test the X5 PHEV was very well-mannered.

Engine power and driveline delivery is as athletic as the numbers suggest. The BMW X5 xDrive45e might wear the ‘eco-warrior’ moniker on its doors, but the acceleration and high-speed stability on offer really is in a league of its own.

Steering response and weighting is just about perfect, though the pedal feel from the brake does have a distinctive hybrid ‘woodiness’ to it, making soft stops especially difficult, even at slow to middling speeds.

With higher autobahn speeds and a challenging country drive route, the BMW X5 xDrive45e didn’t manage anything close to its claimed range… Well, at least it didn’t with me at the wheel. Another journalist on the same loop managed an all-electric range of 89km, to which I tip my hat. It shows what the X5 xDrive45e is capable of if you really give it your all.

BMW says that in offering a plug-in hybrid variant of each of its models it provides a ‘stop gap’ of sorts between ICE-powered vehicles and whatever the next step might be. It’s a claim I think is valid, and one that in execution works very well indeed.

However, given the model’s expected price of around $130,000 and a general reluctance among Australian buyers to embrace expensive technology – be it plug-in hybrid, full-electric or otherwise – I can’t see large luxury SUV buyers knocking down BMW showroom doors for the latest X5 PHEV.

As clever and commendable as the BMW X5 xDrive45e is, it and its kind will only ever become popular when pricing is on par with equivalent conventional models. That’s not likely without some form of subsidy.

Without something like a significant transactional tax cut, the idea of spending a premium for an electrified vehicle – on top of what is already a prestige price tag – simply doesn’t make sense in a market like ours; and I think that’s a real shame.

How much does the 2019 BMW X5 xDrive45e cost?
Price: $130,000 (estimated)
Available: 2020
Engine: 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-petrol and electric motor
Output: 290kW/600Nm (combined)
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 1.7L/100km (NEDC Combined)
CO2: 39g/km (NEDC Combined)
Safety rating: TBC