The diesel X5 survives, but its old muscle does not
The new BMW X5 40d keeps its six-cylinder diesel, yet it loses power, torque, speed and towing capacity as stricter emissions rules bite.
The diesel survived, but the price of meeting tougher emissions rules is painful. At the Turin motor show, BMW displayed the new-generation X5, and the G65 launch range retains just one diesel — the 40d. The Italian premiere itself was no shock: BMW officially unveiled the fifth generation on June 30. Far more interesting is how much the familiar six-cylinder diesel has changed.
The numbers tell the story. The current BMW X5 40d xDrive produces 313 hp and 670 Nm, comes with all-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic transmission. It accelerates to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds, tops out at 230 km/h, and its official German WLTP consumption is 7.3 l/100 km. That is why the 7.0 l/100 km figure seen in an earlier BMWBLOG report is best left aside.
Now for the uncomfortable comparison. The outgoing X5 xDrive40d made 352 hp and 720 Nm, hit 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and reached 245 km/h. A BMW representative confirmed that the lower output of the new B57 is tied to adapting the engine for Euro 7 requirements. At the same time, the SUV has become heavier: German specifications put its mass up from 2315 to 2430 kg.
But one loss will matter far more than a few tenths in the sprint for some owners. The permitted braked-trailer weight has fallen from 3500 to 3000 kg. For a large diesel SUV, that is a serious restriction, especially for buyers who tow heavy trailers. The new X5 offers 655–1850 litres of luggage space and a 75-litre fuel tank.
Even so, diesel has not become a dead end for the X5. The fifth generation arrives with five different powertrain types, while on September 10 BMW revealed fresh targets for the future iX5 Hydrogen: up to 750 km of targeted WLTP range, refuelling in under five minutes and a targeted 0–100 km/h time of less than five seconds. Against that backdrop, the 40d looks like the most conservative X5 of the new era. The catch is that this conservatism now costs power, speed and towing ability.