BMW is finally dropping the camouflage. The fifth-generation X5, codenamed G65, lands on June 30 — and the Bavarians have just released the final teaser stripped of any disguise. The headline act is up front: X-shaped daytime running lights. The kind of detail other brands are about to start copying.
This isn’t just decorative lighting. The new signature is designed to physically tear the X5 away from the iX3 and from every future BMW SUV migrating to the calmer Neue Klasse language. The kidney grille is slimmer, more vertical: looks like the era of oversized nostrils is quietly ending. But not everywhere — the next X7, judging by prototype spy shots, plans to keep its massive front fascia just to spite the critics.
Here’s the real twist: every X5 variant will wear the same face. According to BMWBLOG, the lineup includes petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, fully electric and even hydrogen-powered versions. Five powertrains under one roof — BMW has never tried that before. And now they’re all part of one visual family. The iX5 will no longer look like a quirky side project “for someone else.”
The electric iX5 is poised to claim a less flattering crown: the heaviest production BMW in history, armoured cars aside. The battery is the largest the brand has ever fitted, with projected weight pushing past 2,800 kg. Range will reportedly be record-breaking. The price? Accelerated tyre and brake wear, and that characteristic “heavy” behaviour in corners.
The hydrogen iX5 Hydrogen arrives later, in 2028. It will be the first production fuel-cell BMW after decades of prototypes. It’ll square off not just against the Mercedes-Benz GLE and Audi Q7. The premium family SUV battlefield is getting louder by the day, with big Chinese hybrids storming in.
The new X5 is BMW’s attempt to stuff every era into a single car: from the old-school diesel to hydrogen. The risk is obvious. Buyers will no longer be choosing an engine. They’ll be choosing an ownership philosophy.
