Next BMW X5 previewed with Toyota-sourced tech

BMW has confirmed it will offer no less than five distinct powertrain options for the next-generation X5 SUV, which is set to come offered in battery electric, plug-in hybrid, petrol, diesel and hydrogen fuel-cell electric (FCEV) guise, as part of the Bavarian brand’s “technology-open approach”.

The next-gen X5 is set to make history, as the first BMW model to be offered with five different drivetrains: battery electric, plug-in hybrid, petrol, diesel, and hydrogen.

The latter is set to kick off the wide-ranging large SUV portfolio when it arrives in Europe as the BMW iX5 Hydrogen in 2028.

Developed alongside Toyota, the third-generation fuel-cell powertrain is said to be more compact in its design, as well as more powerful and efficient, touting improved range and consumption.

It’ll also be a “true BMW”, according to BMW Group vice president of hydrogen vehicles, Michael Rath.

“The new BMW iX5 Hydrogen will be a true BMW – pioneering in its class and delivering the BMW typical driving pleasure,” he said of the brand’s first series-production hydrogen-powered model.

It follows the successful testing of a pilot fleet worldwide, with BMW also announcing its HyMoS (Hydrogen Mobility at Scale) initiative, designed to expand hydrogen refueling infrastructure in metropolitan areas across Germany, and “increase the economic viability of hydrogen mobility ecosystems by pooling the demand for all types of vehicles, including trucks, buses, and passenger cars”.

There’s no word yet on which of the five future powertrain options will be offered in the next-gen X5 when it arrives Down Under. The current X5 range consists of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid offerings.

Given the iX5 Hydrogen’s expected 2028 arrival overseas, there’s still time for Australia’s current lack of hydrogen fuel cell refueling infrastructure to catch up.

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