The new BMW X5 won t hit the market until near the end of 2026 but the G65 is already undergoing testing on public roads. The fifth generation of Bavaria s original luxury SUV has been spotted in Spain where multiple prototypes were being tested alongside other cars. Despite the heavy disguise, we re getting the impression the next-gen X5 already has the production body.
Trying to hide Neue Klasse design cues, the revamped X5 was being evaluated with combustion engines. There was also at least one prototype with a plug-in hybrid setup since we noticed a flap for the charging port on the front fender. Test cars with the license plate ending in E are fully electric but bear in mind some vehicles represent the smaller iX3 coming next year. Yes, there also seems to be an i7 LCI in the group.
While the iX3 will move to Neue Klasse, the iX5 will stick to the CLAR bones of the combustion-engine versions. It s hard to tell how the larger SUV is going to look given the bulky disguise. However, that front end hints at major changes. It appears to take after the Vision Neue Klasse X, a concept that foretells the smaller 2026 iX3.
There won t be major design differences between the conventionally powered X5 versions and the electric iX5. These prototypes seemed to lack the final taillights but the body panels likely depict the final sheet metal. Knowing BMW isn’t afraid to implement radical designs even with facelifts, let alone next-gen cars, there might be some major changes planned.
Expect a wide variety of inline-six and V8 engines, along with possibly round battery cells. We re hearing there will be a purely electric iX5 M70 and a plug-in hybrid X5 M60e with Gen6 batteries. While the gas-fueled X3 M is seemingly dead, a full-fat X5 M is still planned as the “G95.” However, eight-cylinder models might not make it to Europe where there’s tougher legislation regarding emissions.
There’ll be a real revolution inside where logic tells us BMW will move the X5 to iDrive X. If that happens, there might not be a digital instrument cluster anymore. Its role will be taken by an ultra-wide head-up display, complimenting a large screen mounted in the center of the dashboard.
The G65 is scheduled to enter production in late 2026. That tells us it ll likely end up as a 2027MY in the United States.
Source: NCars / YouTube
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
