When the fifth-generation X5 (G65) debuts next year, it’ll offer a variety of powertrains. However, not all of them will be available at launch. BMW will get the ball rolling with the gasoline 40 xDrive and diesel 40d xDrive. Later in the year, the lineup is likely to expand with the 50e xDrive plug-in hybrid. Around the same time, BMW should introduce an M Performance M60e plug-in hybrid and a fully electric 60 xDrive.
Beyond gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric versions, the range will eventually include a fuel cell variant. Confirmed for a 2028 release, it will be BMW’s first-ever hydrogen production vehicle. It’s already been previewed with a camouflaged prototype wearing the generic “iX5 Hydrogen” label.
We’re now hearing that BMW has chosen “iX5 60H xDrive” as the vehicle’s official name. Not that there was any doubt, but the designation confirms standard all-wheel drive. The “60” badge suggests it will be one of the more powerful variants in the lineup, positioned below a rumored iX5 M70 xDrive and a possible X5 M (G95).
The iX5 Hydrogen is being developed in collaboration with Toyota for a third-generation fuel cell system. It’s logical to expect the electric motors to be BMW’s Gen6 hardware, which debuted last month on the iX3. Instead of a large and heavy battery pack, hydrogen tanks will feed the fuel cell to generate electricity.
It’s still early for detailed specs, but the iX5 prototypes based on the outgoing X5 feature dual CFRP tanks that store about 6 kilograms of hydrogen, good for a WLTP range of 313 miles (504 kilometers). The upcoming iX5 60H xDrive should offer a significantly higher range when it arrives in about three years.
Eventually, there could even be a sixth powertrain option for the X5. Reports suggest BMW is exploring the idea of reviving the range extender. If it materializes, a small gasoline engine acting as a generator to charge the battery could also appear in the next-generation X7 (“G67”). However, none of this is official until BMW confirms it.
Source: Bimmer Post
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
