The Autoblog spy photographers are being spoilt with several first-time sightings around the Nürburgring lately, and among them is the new BMW X5 M high-performance SUV, which, for the first time ever, will be offered as either an all-electric vehicle or with the mild-hybrid 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 we know and love. The X5 M prototype we’ve spotted here is not only completely different from the contemporary F95 third-gen X5 M (based on the G05), but this G95 development mule is also set to look completely different alongside the new G65 X5 with which it will share showrooms. Let’s deal with the design first (including a video) and then talk numbers.
2028 BMW X5 M: Looks Like a Taller M5
Autoblog/SH Proshots
Unlike the narrow, vertical kidneys of the non-M X5, the 2028 X5 M’s front fascia appears to have developed meaty Alpina-like kidney elements between its headlights, indicating that it will adopt the aesthetic apparent on the forthcoming facelifted G90 M5 sedan. But we can’t be sure – these are placeholder headlight and taillight units, as is common when a prototype ventures into the wild for the first time. Thus, BMW may well be doing something completely unpredictable with the front of new or facelifted M cars like the X5 M and M5, respectively. Now for the elephant in the room: this is the electric X5 M (it won’t be called iX5 M), one of 30 new M models coming by 2029, and like the impending electric M3 (not iM3 either) teased earlier this month, it appears to be gaining vents in the hood, helping cool the front motors of the 800-volt quad-motor powertrain.
It also appears that the hood of this X5 M prototype doesn’t have as deep a recess in the center as other Neue Klasse designs, perhaps as another way of making the X5 M look more brutish than 3 Series-based M models. Then again, if the front fascia is not set in stone, the hood shape may change too, and the above video suggests there’s some subtle cladding on this bodywork. Whatever the case, the bumpers seem to hang over the front and rear ends a little more than normal, and at the back, a jagged dual-element spoiler with a large central recess adds to the angry look. In profile, drilled brake discs provide another hint that this is the M version, though these wheels won’t make production. A glass roof also appears to be visible, and inside, we can expect the upholstery and the Panoramic Vision iDrive system to get M-specific graphics and motifs.
G95 BMW X5 M SUV Will Be Powerful In Any Form
Autoblog/SH Proshots
Expected to enter production at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in South Carolina in 2028, the G95 BMW X5 M is predicted to arrive eight months before the gas-powered X5 enters production in December 2028, meaning the V8 version could only launch in 2029. To help sell the EV, which will undoubtedly be heavier and more controversial, the electric X5 M is rumored to make up to 900 horsepower, according to BMW Blog. That explains the meaty new Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 rubber we’ve seen before, but what about the gas X5 M? Well, the current X5 M Competition (a badge that will soon disappear) makes 617 horsepower. As a mild hybrid, it’s far less powerful than the M5 with which it shares a 4.4-liter V8, but perhaps the M Division will put a big battery in the SUV too. Perhaps it will find other ways to increase the S68’s efficiency and performance, possibly including timing, ignition, and turbocharger improvements. Either way, expect a significant leap in output, potentially near the 700-hp mark.
Autoblog/SH Proshots
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