X5 handling prowess comes at a price

AFTER JUST 11 years on the road, the X5 already seems like a motoring icon that has been around for a lot longer.

It was a head-turner in the noughties, a symbol of success with a touch of bling added in for good measure. If the Range Rover was a little too Barbour jacket and green wellies for you, then the X5 was pure yummy mummy, a status mode of transport for children from the front door to the school gates. It pulled the odd horsebox, but rarely got more agrarian than that.

Whereas the full-blooded off-roaders had to smarten up their acts, the BMW was less than effusive in returning the effort or even pretending to be a mud-plugger. The X5 was and is consistently referred to by executives as an SAV rather than an SUV – “activity” replacing “utility” in the abbreviation. After all, X5 owners would never purchase anything as common as a utility. That’s something to do with plumbing or toilets.

The nuance of the name change also underlined BMW’s priority: a big vehicle that handled better than any of the rest on the road. And like most of the goals BMW puts its mind to, it managed just that.

This latest iteration of the X5 is more than a benchmark for handling in SUVs however. It also represents the advances being made in engine technology. For all the focus on electric cars these days, there are major improvements being made in the seemingly arcane world of clunking camshafts, pumping pistons and burning oil. It’s incredible how a spark of competition sets the engineering world alight.

There have been progressive improvements in fuel consumption over the years – as much down to aerodynamics as engine dynamics. Yet, as alternative energies hone into view, the internal combustion engine is making concerted efforts to prove itself as something more than a chapter heading in history books on the 20th century. It revolutionised the way we lived in the last century and is seeking to prove its worth in this one.

Nowadays, everyone is focused on carbon footprints and combustion engines are regarded as a major culprit. Yet talk to any senior engineer and they’ll tell you that there remains real potential for lowering emissions levels – particularly in petrol engines – to double or perhaps even single digits. If so, then perhaps the internal combustion engine has a longer-term future than most think.

So what has been achieved to date? Well, how about this seven-seat SUV with an emissions-based motor tax that’s half that of most of its rivals? Now before we get too excited about this big eco-friendly diesel giant, it still puts out 198g/km, pitting it in the second-highest tax bracket. So on a weekend run from Dublin to Cork, we still spewed out an estimated average of 87kgs of carbon.

Still, that’s much better than where it once was – and where many of its competitors are – and it comes from an engine that also boasts a 20bhp increase in power, a faster 0-100km/h and a better fuel economy than the equivalent variant of the outgoing model.

In a move that will lead to hours of debate and discussion amongst BMW aficionados and Top Trumpsfans, this car is badged with the 40d version and replaces the 35d variant of old. Both, however, feature a 3-litre diesel engine and the numerals seemingly reflect the sort of engine size you might expect from a car of this performance, if it were not a BMW. It's one for the anoraks, but it's another example of how BMW is breaking away from defining their model variants based on the engine's cubic capacity.

The latest revision to the X5 look is relatively conservative. Standard features now include the LED corona rings in the headlights and leather as standard on all models.

It’s a well-appointed cabin with some typical BMW quality touches. The third row of seats are tricky to access and they don’t really offer much comfort to adults for a long trek, but they are useful for short runs or carrying children.

The most remarkable feature of the X5 remains its handling prowess. You might sit atop the chassis, high in the sky over many other motorists, but the BMW never wavers or wallows when it comes to corners. So where the X5 really excels is overcoming all the odds to be the most sporting and nimble SUV – or SAV – on the market.

On a quiet Saturday afternoon the X5 devoured the motorway to Cork in less time than it normally takes to get across Dublin in rush-hour traffic.

On the back roads around Cobh it tucked into corners at speeds that should have sent us sideways into the stone walls. With every corner you gain more confidence in its ability, calling on the brakes a little later every time until you realise that it’s able to look after itself if you keep the speeds within the realms of reality.

Sadly, the X5’s handling fun comes at a price. The ride on the test car was frankly too hard for long travels on anything but smooth motorways. At one stage over the weekend we drove into a fairly deep pothole. It sounded like we had broken the car in two while the thud reverberated up and down our spine.

For passengers, especially those in the back, the sacrifice of comfort for the sake of driving pleasure will be regarded as too much of a concession.

IT MIGHT only have been around for a decade but the X5 became such an icon of the halcyon days of the Celtic tiger that it will always have a following here.

And if BMW can continue the trend towards lower emissions, then the X5 and its ilk will continue to have a future. Whatever your view about SUVs, this latest take on its 3-litre diesel engine has the beating of all its rivals. It’s cleaner, and in most instances faster than its rivals.

The greatest drawback however is the relatively harsh ride. Standard wheels are the 18” alloys and even those opting for the racier looking M Sport pack should seriously consider sticking with these rather than the 19” on offer and they should certainly pass up the optional 20” wheels that we have spotted on offer from some websites.

In its efforts to entertain the driver and garner accolades for its handling prowess BMW has given too much away in terms of comfort.

The X5 would be an outright winner, what with its ability to cater for seven passengers, the well-developed and carefully managed image and this latest more powerful engine variant. Yet like an over-eager striker with a last-minute penalty, they’ve overshot the mark.

It is the best of the road-going SUVs out there in many ways and it should be tested by anyone in this market, but during the drive you need to be sure you can live with the ride quality on offer. It’s a great car, but in need of a little more compromise towards comfort to truly excel on Irish roads.

FACTFILE

BMW X5 xDrive 40d M Sport

Engine:2993cc six-cylinder variable twin turbo common-rail diesel putting out 306bhp @ 4,400rpm and 600Nm of torque from 1,500rpm

Specification:Standard features include dynamic stability control with ABS and traction control; corner braking control; hill descent control. Options include lane departure warning; active cruise control; speed limit display; side-view cameras

0-100km/h:6.6 secs

L/100km:urban: 8.8 (32.1); extra-urban: 6.8 (41.5); combined: 7.5 (37.7)

CO2:198g/km – Tax band F (€1,050 a year)

Bootspace:620-1,750 litres

Price:€88,510 (starts at €76,580 for 30d SE version)

THE RIVALS

AUDI Q7 3.0 TDI Tip Quattro Sport

Power:240bhp

Torque:550Nm

0-100km/h:8.5 secs

L/100km (mpg):9.1 (25.8)

CO2:234 g/km

Motor tax:€2,100

Bootspace:775-2,035 litres

Price:€82,765

VOLVO XC90 D5 Executive auto

Power:185 bhp

Torque:400Nm

0-100km/h:11.5 secs

L/100km (mpg):8.3 (34.0)

CO2:224 g/km

Motor tax:€1,050

Bootspace:249-1,837 litres

Price:€75,530

MERCEDES ML 320 CDI A/T

Power:224 bhp

Torque:510Nm

0-100km/h:8.6 secs

L/100km (mpg):9.6 (29.4)

CO2:254 g/km

Motor tax:€2,100

Bootspace:833-2,050 litres

Price:€83,645

RANGE ROVER Sport 3.0 HSE

Power:241 bhp

Torque:600Nm

0-100km/h:8.8 secs

L/100km (mpg):9.2 (30.7)

CO2:243g/km

Motor tax:€2,100

Bootspace:958-2,013 litres

Price:€82,100