X5 M60e Bridges The Performance Gap
When you’re a kid, you think you want the best of everything, and certainly the fastest possible car, but in reality, you want something that doesn’t draw attention from cops, isn’t too expensive to insure, and won’t drain a college fund every time you fill it up – something like the BMW X5 M60i. It still has a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 like the maniacal X5 M, but here, it’s supported by mild-hybrid technology to improve efficiency. For the G65 X5, which will likely arrive for the 2027 model year, BMW will take things further by fitting a plug and making it a “real” hybrid. As a result, the name will become X5 M60e, but it comes with some compromises.
More Power, More Tech, Fewer Cylinders
Since the last time we spotted the next-gen X5, not much has changed, so we’ll discuss the looks at the end of this article. What matters is what’s happening under the skin, and today’s 523-horsepower output won’t cut the mustard. Unfortunately, justifying the V8 when trying to make a shift toward cleaner cars is tricky, and BMW Blog reports that the hottest ‘regular’ X5 will have to do without, switching to a plug-in hybrid six-cylinder like the current M760e limousine. At least it should have “over 550 hp,” according to the publication.
Even more evidence of Bavaria’s ambition to see the X5 stand the tests of time and emissions legislation comes from a recent Autocar report, which cites “high-ranking sources” as saying that the next X5 may get range-extender tech, and it could spread up to the X7 and down to the X3, too. This makes sense. Scout Motors will offer EREVs, and so may the next Kia Telluride, showing that the market is clamouring for more efficient engines as well as EVs that can be used even when a charger isn’t nearby.
New X5 Will Make Current Model Look Outdated
Along with more power and more miles per gallon, the new X5 will still be expected to handle like a BMW, which is how our photographers caught these images at a Nürburgring industry testing day. While little has changed compared to our last sighting, the glass roof is clearer, and these appear to be production wheels. Their design is unlike anything we’ve seen in the BMW stable before, but big blue brake calipers with the obligatory M logos will ensure we instinctively know what brand made them. Overall, it’s very similar to the Vision Neue Klasse X concept, and we think that’ll make for a handsome face. We can also see some slight boxing around the arches, which will add presence, and a the rear, a quartet of exhaust pipes achieves the same, though the eventual G95 X5 M will surely turn things up to 11.
The sculpted mirror housings on this development mule look production-ready, too, and the camo over the windows might even indicate that this has a full interior, though it appears the driver is using instruments that won’t be part of the Panoramic Vision infotainment system. This prototype looks like a set of production headlights and taillights away from being ready, but there’s still plenty to be done. The G65 BMW X5’s debut is only expected at the end of next year or early in 2027, so there’s a lot more yet to be revealed.
