BMW X5 plug-in hybrid revealed

The BMW X5 xDrive40e has been revealed prior to its public debut at the New York motor show 2015, to be held in April. This is the new plug-in petrol-electric hybrid version of the Bavarian carmaker's full-blown luxury SUV.

The hybrid-powered X5 runs a longitudinally-mounted turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine. The four-cylinder unit has outputs of 242bhp and 35.7kgm of torque, and works in combination with an electric motor that's seated in the forward section of its standard eight-speed automatic gearbox and produces 111bhp and 25.4kgm of torque. Altogether, the X5 xDrive40e possesses a combined system output of 309bhp and 45.9kgm. This gives it 55bhp more but 11.2kgm less than the popular turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel X5 xDrive30d.

The X5 xDrive40e’s electric motor draws energy from a 9kW lithium ion battery consisting of 96 individual cells. The mounting of the battery at the rear reduces boot space by 150 litres over the existing petrol and diesel-powered third-generation X5 models. The recharging time is put at 2hr 48min on an optional 3.5kW wallbox that operates at 16 amperes and 230V. The new BMW offers three driving modes: Auto eDrive (in which the electric motor supplements the petrol engine for maximum performance), Max eDrive (exclusively electric power), and Save Battery (which maintains the state of charge of the battery, for later use).

BMW quotes a 0-100kh time of 6.8 seconds and a maximum speed that is limited to 211kph. By comparison, the X5 xDrive30d possesses figures of 6.8 seconds and 230kph, respectively. The electric range is put at 30.5km, at speeds limited to 121kph.

BMW says the X5's chassis has been re-tuned for the hybrid version. Among the standard equipment is adaptive damping and self-levelling rear air suspension. The driver can alter the chassis via a so-called Driving Experience Control function, which offers Comfort, Sport and Eco Pro modes.

Comments

2018 Lamborghini Urus India review, test drive

On first introduction, it’s a recipe for intimidation. It’s claimed to be the fastest SUV in the world (0-100kph in 3.6sec and a top speed of 305kph puts it nearly in supercar territory), and it’s made by Lamborghini – creator of some of the most savage vehicles on the market. Things – as with any Lamborghini, for that matter – would be a lot less daunting if we were driving on a smooth European country road, a wide motorway, or even a race track. But today we’re driving the Urus on a narrow ghat road, as well as through some heavy Pune traffic. Perhaps the intention was to demonstrate that this is the first Lamborghini ever to go on sale in India that truly works in our conditions – but still, I doubt they accounted for rush hour. It’s requisitely mad to look at, employing as many ‘sporty’ design tropes to an SUV body style as possible – the only thing missing is a massive wing on the back; and somehow, it works. It’s ...

What to avoid during a car service

When it comes to getting their cars serviced at authorised outlets, owners usually go the whole hog. They want their cars coming out of service centres looking brand new, and are willing to pay for it. But do service centres take undue advantage of this? Yes, they do. Servicing may involve changing certain parts and oils after a set interval, but service centres will almost always try to plug in a few extras using technical jargon that a layman may not really understand. Certain processes are completely unnecessary, and customers end up paying extra as they are not aware of what's important and what's not. Also, most of the times, the service associate will throw you a hard sales pitch, and it's not always done with your best interests in mind. So what exactly are the things you don’t really need and should avoid? Engine flushing Flushing an engine simply means cleaning the impure oil and gunk that ...

Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV in the works

Rolls Royce has released the first pictures of its Cullinan SUV prototype. The company has said that only the length of the prototype gives clues about the production. The entire car is an engineering mock-up to test the new all-wheel drive transmission and suspension. The prototype, based on a shortened Phantom II, is set for road testing from the second week of April. The company has said that it would “assist Rolls Royce engineers in developing a final suspension system that will deliver the brand's hallmark 'magic carpet' ride not only on the road, but off-road too”. Rolls Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Ötvös had, some time back, confirmed to our sister publication Autocar UK, that the company was developing an all-new four-wheel drive high-bodied Rolls Royce. He had, however, avoided using the word ‘SUV’. The new Rolls Royce is expected to shatter existing price and size ceilings for a SUV, but as per the brand's design boss Giles Taylor, the SUV will be po...

Automobilestillnow

Search This Blog