X5 3.0si complements BMW's large off-road range
New six-cylinder variants of the E70 design go on sale in two levels of trimBack in March, when the new E70 series of X5 was launched in Australia (more here), BMW did say that the petrol sixes wouldn't reach us before June. Now, a month later than expected, they're here.
The X5 3.0si is the new entry-level model, priced at $85,000 and undercutting the X5 3.0d by $1800. An up-market level, the X5 3.0si Executive is priced at $94,500 -- $9500 more than the entry-level model.
Both the standard grade and the X5 3.0si Executive provide an alternative for those X5 buyers who can't step up to the X5 4.8 and don't want a diesel for one reason or another.
Power for the X5 3.0si and the X5 3.0si Executive derives from a new in-line six which develops 200kW of power and 315Nm of torque. The output constitutes an 18 per cent gain in power and five per cent more torque compared with the engine in the superseded E53 series X5 3.0i.
Lighter in weight by 10kg, the new engine is built around a magnesium and aluminium block and features BMW's double VANOS system of adjusting the valve timing for both inlet and exhaust camshafts.
The engine's extra urge is passed through the standard six-speed 'Steptronic' sequential shift automatic transmission which has been upgraded with a revised torque converter and new mapping software.
These changes and the greater efficiency of the engine have resulted in the X5 3.0 Si achieving an 8.1 second time for the run to 100km/h from a standing start.
Fuel economy is improved over the X5 3.0i's and is as low as 11.7lt/100km in combined cycle testing -- a nine per cent reduction.
Among the standard features of the 3.0si, dynamic driving aids proliferate. There are acronyms and abbreviations to stop you pulling up hard against a tree at the bottom of a hill, to stop you sliding the vehicle into a guardrail and to stop the trailer you're towing exerting undesirable forces on the car.
In addition to the standard car's specification, the X5 3.0si Executive gains a rear view camera, electrically adjustable driver's seat with memory, electric steering column adjustment, satellite navigation, television, voice recognition, 'BMW Assist' and Bluetooth capability.
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