That this BMW X5 is a hybrid, you don't really notice it at first: The Bavarian is named xDrive40e. Do you notice what? The number alone would have suggested four liters of displacement and eight cylinders just a decade ago. But no, the small "e" is crucial and indicates the additional electric motor. The main drive source is the long-established two-liter four-cylinder with turbocharging and 180 kW / 245 hp. The Stromer achieves 83 kW / 113 PS and above all - that is important - 250 Nm torque. When it comes to marketing the 230 kW / 313 hp (system output) strong hybrid model, BMW is clever and prizes it at 68.400 euros. The price is almost 8.000 euros higher than that of the conventional xDrive35i, but there is a touch more power and additional equipment worth around 5.000 euros. These include an adaptive chassis with air-sprung rear axle and extensive on-screen navigation. Compared to the exactly the same strong diesel xDrive40d, the hybrid even has a moderate price advantage.
It remains to be seen whether it will still be a successful model in this country. In any case, there is no lack of perceived performance. On the one hand, the four-cylinder, blessed with 350 Nm, already has the potential to push properly. On the other hand, the technicians have beautifully engineered the interaction of the components of the electric and gasoline engines. Anyone who just taps the accelerator in the low speed range will experience the X5 emphatically striving forward. The propulsion does not match the speed scheme of the combustion engine at all - of course not, the power then comes from the synchronous electric machine, which is housed in the automatic unit. Except for the omitted torque converter, the transmission corresponds to the eight-way, which is also used in the other variants. The Stromer can be uncoupled from the combustion engine via a multi-plate clutch - this way the X5 could control the nearest workshop in emergency operation, for example in the event of a defect.
Of course, you can drive purely electrically in the corresponding mode, which works thanks to 9 kWh battery capacity for about 30 kilometers at a maximum of 120 km / h. Only the kickdown button in this position calls the combustion engine on the map, otherwise the electric motor remains the main drive source. The punch is enough, if you are traveling in the city, for overland routes you like to have the powerful four-cylinder on board, whose profane tone at least only reaches the passenger compartment in a muffled manner. Even if it will hardly console the fans of the silky six-cylinder engine: BMW has managed to make the drive unit extremely comfortable.
In safe mode, the system does not even tap the battery or recharge it - this is good if the last kilometers of the journey should definitely be without Otto, for example because you do not want to wake up the neighborhood when you arrive at night , In auto mode, you don't have to worry about drive details, the computer controls everything - thanks to the navigation system, it even knows the route (if route guidance has been activated) and takes gradients or inclines into account when the two machines work together and when it comes to recuperation. When the accelerator pedal is forced, the Munich man can also be poisonous and balances 2,2 tons at country speed in less than seven seconds, which the passengers can feel with a succinct pressure in the cross.
Before making a purchase, you should carefully consider whether this BMW fits your personal driving profile. Because in order to fully use the lithium-ion battery, it has to be charged regularly - lantern parkers have bad cards. Commuters with a fairly short journey should be able to charge at home or at work. Of course, it would be perfect if the employer made the electricity available free of charge. Because even the oh so cheap household electricity is in reality hardly. Depending on the provider, you pay around 30 cents per kilowatt hour, which in the case of the X5 means costs of just under ten euros for 100 kilometers of electric travel. With a diesel, you are almost at eye level in terms of cost. If you take this into account and still think the xDrive40e is suitable, you should be able to live well with the twin-engine BMW, but it offers driving pleasure. And it is a real X5 with 4 × 4 capability, only the seven-seater is denied the hybrid variant. And with 1.720 liters, it can load around 150 liters less than the other variants. But that really shouldn't be critical.
Author: Patrick Broich / SP-X
