The 2021 BMW X5 xDrive45e PHEV Sports Activity Vehicle.
06/10/2020
BMW
Today, BMW proudly launches the 2nd generation plug-in hybrid X5 Sports Activity Vehicle, the newest addition to the U.S. X5 lineup. The U.S. X5 xDrive45e arrives with a SULEV Super ultra-low emissions vehicle rating which can bring additional benefits in states which offer special consideration to drivers of electrified vehicles, such as high occupancy lane access stickers.
The X5 xDrive45e is built at Plant Spartanburg, South Carolina, BMW Group's largest global production plant. In 2019, the high-voltage battery assembly area at Plant Spartanburg doubled in size in preparation for the new X3 xDrive30e and X5 xDrive45e. 120 people currently work on the battery assembly line.
New 6-cylinder BMW Twin Power Turbo PHEV Drivetrain
The new x5 xDrive45e greatly enhances performance over the previous X5 xDrive40e with a 3.0 liter 6-cylinder TwinPower turbocharged internal combustion engine (replacing the previous generation's 2.0 liter 4-cylinder TwinPower turbocharged motor) BMW's latest eDrive technology and a larger, more advanced high-voltage electric battery.
The combined power of the new PHEV drivetrain is 389 hp, a bump of 81 hp over the previous generation. Torque is now 443 ft-lb, an increase of 111 ft-lbs. 0 to 60 mph acceleration time is 5.3 seconds, 1.2 seconds faster than before. The prodigious amount of torque also allows for a factory-installed optional trailer hitch (rated for 7,200 lbs. of towing).
The high-voltage battery grows in size to 24 kWh, up from the previous X5 xDrive40e's 12 kWh capacity. As a result, electric-only range doubles from a previous EPA rating of 14 miles to a new EPA estimated 30-mile range. Electric-only top speed increases from 75 mph to 84 mph. The high-voltage battery is positioned in the underbody of the X5, minimizing impact on cargo space. With the rear seats up, cargo space is only 0.8 cubic feet less than the standard X5. With the rear seats folded, cargo space is 1.1 cubic feet less.
Drive Modes
The X5 xDrive45e features three drive modes:
Hybrid - the default mode upon start up. This fully automatic setting allows the advanced electronics to determine the most efficient or performance-oriented combined use of gasoline and electric power based on driver input. Electric-only driving may be experienced at speeds up to 68 mph in this mode.
Electric - This electric only mode can be used at speeds up to 84 mph. The driver can change back to hybrid mode by either pushing the throttle pedal through the kick-down position or via the eDrive button on the center console.
Sport - This keeps the combustion engine engaged for particularly sporty driving and allows for more aggressive energy regeneration from engine and mechanical braking.
Intelligent xDrive all-wheel drive and Sport Steptronic transmission
The BMW intelligent xDrive system offers a rear-biased setup to enhance both spirited performance driving and all-season traction on differing road surfaces, from dry to slippery.
The standard eight-speed Sport Steptronic transmission's intelligent connectivity enables it to adapt its shift strategy according to the route and driving situation by working with the navigation system and if equipped, combining this data with information from the Active Cruise Control system's radar sensor. This makes it possible for the transmission to shift proactively instead of reactively insuring that the vehicle is always in the correct gear for the upcoming road conditions.
Suspension
A double-wishbone front and five-link rear suspension give the new BMW X5 xDrive45e agile yet comfortable road handling plus enhanced traction off the beaten track. The standard Dynamic Damper Control system uses electronically controlled shock absorbers to sharpen the X5's handling dynamics at the same time as increasing ride and suspension comfort. The driver can select from the two performance settings - Hybrid or Sport - using the Driving Experience Control switch.
The standard two-axle air suspension offers individual control for each corner using an electrically driven compressor with pressure reservoir, making it possible to balance out an unevenly loaded car. Thanks to the linkup with the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system, the vehicle load registered by the air suspension's sensors can also be factored into braking modulation. The X5's ride height can be changed among five selectable levels at the touch of a button. The driver is also able to adjust the body's ground clearance for off-road driving to a maximum of 1.6 inches above the standard setting. Another button lowers the car's height by 1.6 inches to make loading and unloading of the vehicle easier.
Wheels and Tires
Standard equipment on the 2021 X5 xDrive45e are:
19 x 9.0 inch V-spoke Style 734 wheels with 265/50R19 all-season run-flat tires.
Optional wheel and tire packages include:
20 x 9.0 inch V-Spoke Style 738 wheels with 275/45R20 all-season run-flat tires.
20 x 9.0 inch M Star-spoke Style 740M wheels with 275/45R20 all-season run-flat tires
21 x 9.5 inch front and 21 x 10.5 inch rear Style 744 wheels with 275/40R21 front and 315/35R21 rear performance run-flat tires.
21 x 9.5 inch front and 21 x 10.5 inch rear Style 741M wheels with 275/40R21 front and 315/35R21 rear performance run-flat tires.
Exterior Paint Finishes
The X5 xDrive45e is available in a choice of 9 non-metallic and metallic paint finishes.
Alpine White (standard)
Jet Black (standard)
Carbon Black Metallic
Black Sapphire Metallic
Dark Graphite Metallic
Mineral White Metallic
Phytonic Blue Metallic
Arctic Grey Metallic
Manhattan Green Metallic
Interior Upholstery and Trim
Standard Sensatec upholstery in either Canberra Beige/Black or in Black offers leather-like surfaces while providing additional wear resistance for active owners.
Optional Vernasca Leather in:
Ivory White
Canberra Beige
Coffee
Cognac
Black
BMW Individual Extended Merino Leather is available as an option in:
Ivory White
Coffee
Tartufo
Black
Ivory White/Navy Blue
Fineline Stripe Wood High Gloss trim is standard. Available alternative trim finishes include:
Aluminum Tetragon
Aluminum Dark Mesh
Brown-Metallic Ash Grain Wood
Fineline Stripe Brown High Gloss Wood
Anthracite Brown Poplar Matte Finish Wood
Live Cockpit Professional with iDrive 7 and new BMW Maps
The standard Live Cockpit Professional in the BMW X5 xDrive45e brings the latest-generation of BMW's iDrive interface and is composed of a high-resolution digital 12.3" instrument cluster display behind the steering wheel and a 12.3" touchscreen center display. The system offers haptic controls for the iDrive controller, an advanced tablet-like touch interface, stunning visualizations and the largest displays in BMW's vehicle lineup.
iDrive 7 in the X5 xDrive45e includes standard navigation with new BMW Maps, a digital cloud-based feature which offers faster route calculations and dynamic recalculation based on precise real-time traffic data. The route is worked out using an anticipatory approach, meaning upcoming traffic along the entire route is factored into the calculation of the expected arrival time. Complete traffic data is now available for less-traveled roads, too. Hazard warnings transmitted online from the BMW fleet now reach the car even faster thanks to connected navigation. These improvements help to produce a very accurate estimate of arrival time and improved route guidance. The destination input function has also been improved and now lets the driver enter any word. Alternatively, the destination can be entered at any time simply by voice control. Plus, points of interest (POIs) along the route are described in greater detail, with reviews, opening times and photos.
Other elements of the BMW Live Cockpit Professional are two USB-C ports, plus Bluetooth interfaces. The vehicle can automatically detect the driver and his/her personal settings by either using the traditional vehicle key or by downloading the driver's personal settings in the BMW Cloud. Drivers can enjoy the full benefits of the car's intelligent connectivity capabilities through vehicle apps such as news, weather, office and online search.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Compatibility
The new 2021 BMW X5 xDrive45e offers standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Google Assistant, Google Maps, music streaming services like Spotify and Amazon Music and the WhatsApp messaging service are now available to both iPhone and Android users.
Driver Assistance Systems
The 2021 BMW X5 xDrive45e is available with a wide variety of standard and optional driver assistance systems. The systems relieve strains on the driver in monotonous situations, such as traffic jams, or when driving long distances. The driver assistance systems process camera images as well as the data gathered by ultrasonic and radar sensors to monitor the vehicle's surroundings, warn of potential hazards and minimize the risk of an accident with corrective braking or steering inputs.
The standard Active Driving Assistant on the new BMW X5 xDrive45e includes Blind Spot Detection, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Collision Warning, Frontal Collision Warning and Pedestrian Warning with City Collision Mitigation (which now also alerts the driver if cyclists are detected) Cross Traffic Alert Rear and Speed Limit Information.
The optional Driving Assistance Professional Package offers comprehensive assistance for comfortable and safe driving. This package includes Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function. It can be used at speeds up to 130 mph and maintains the desired speed while taking the traffic situation into account and the selected distance to vehicles in front. If required, the system is able to brake, stop the car and pull away again automatically after being stationary for up to 30 seconds, meaning greater comfort in stop-start traffic. Camera images and data from a front radar system are used for distance control.
Another component of the Driving Assistance Professional Package is the Lane Keeping Assistant with Active Side Collision Protection. This system is designed to help the driver guide the vehicle back on to the correct path with an active turn of the steering wheel. Besides emitting visual warning signals and causing the steering wheel to vibrate, Active Side Collision Protection also uses active steering intervention to help avoid a collision. Moreover, this package includes Extended Traffic Jam Assistant for limited access highways, which allows for even more relaxed driving at speeds lower than 40 mph during highly congested highway traffic situations. The Driving Assistance Professional Package includes Evasion Aid, which now also reacts to pedestrians, and Front Cross Traffic Alert - which reduces the danger of a collision when maneuvering toward roads that are obstructed from the driver's view.
The drive recorder, a new feature on the optional Parking Assistance Package, uses the cameras of the various driver assistance systems to record video footage from the front and/or rear view points of the vehicle before storing the recordings. The saved video files can be either watched later on the center control display when the car is stationary or exported via the USB port. When activated, the drive recorder shoots and stores up to 40 seconds of video. In the event of a collision, a period of up to 20 seconds around the moment of impact is automatically recorded and saved.
Standard Equipment
The X5 xDrive45e's comprehensive list of standard equipment includes:
xLine trim
19-inch V-Spoke alloy wheels with all-season run-flat tires
Power adjustable steering column with Sport leather steering wheel
8-Speed Sport Automatic transmission
2-axle air suspension
Live Cockpit Professional with iDrive 7, navigation and two digital 12.3-inch displays
Apple Car Play compatibility
Android Auto Compatibility (starting from 8/20 production)
SiriusXM Satellite radio with 1 year All-Access subscription
Comfort Access keyless entry
Rear view camera
Panoramic sunroof
Privacy glass
Power front heated sport seats
SensaTec dashboard
Interior ambient lighting
Adaptive Full LED headlights and Automatic high beams
Acoustic protection for pedestrians
Active Protection
Automatic seat belt tensioning
Automatic closing of windows and moonroof
Fatigue and Focus Alert
Post-Crash Braking
Active Driving Assistant
Lane Departure Warning
Daytime Pedestrian Warning
Frontal Collision Warning with City Collision Mitigation
Speed Limit Information
Active Blind Spot Detection
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Rear Collision Preparation
Connected Package Professional
Real Time Traffic and On Street Parking Availability.
Intelligent Personal Assistant with natural speech input
Remote Services with Remote Door Unlock, BMW Connected App and Stolen Vehicle Recovery
Optional Packages and Equipment
The X5 xDrive45e features optional packages and stand-alone equipment to further enhance the driving and ownership experience.
Convenience Package
4-zone climate control
Wireless charging for compatible mobile devices
Wi-Fi hot spot with 3-month or 3GB data trial
Enhanced USB and Bluetooth
Driving Assistance Professional Package
Extended Traffic Jam Assistant for limited access highways (Level 2)
Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go
Lane Keeping Assistant with side collision avoidance
Steering and Traffic Jam Assistant
Evasion Assistant
Front Cross-Traffic Alert
Luxury Seating Package
Front Ventilated Multi-Contour seats
M Sport Package
20-inch M Star-spoke bi-color Style 740M wheels with all-season run-flat tires
or 21-inch M Y-spoke bi-color Style 741M wheels performance run-flat tires
Roof rails in High Gloss Shadowline
Aluminum Tetragon trim
or Aluminum Dark Mesh interior trim
or Brown-Metallic Ash Grain Wood trim
or Fineline Stripe Brown High Gloss Wood trim
or Anthracite-Brown Poplar Matte Wood trim
M Steering wheel
Aerodynamic Kit
Shadowline exterior trim
Vernasca Leather
or Individual Extended Merino Leather
Parking Assistance Package
Parking Assistant Plus
Back-Up Assistant
Drive Recorder
Active Park Distance Control
Surround View with 3D View
Premium Package
4-zone automatic climate control
Head-Up Display
Harman Kardon Surround Sound System
Wireless Charging
Gesture Control
WiFi Hotspot with 3-month or 3GB data trial
Enhanced USB and Bluetooth
Executive Package
Panoramic Sky Lounge LED Roof
Rear manual side window shades
Glass Controls
4-zone automatic climate control
Icon Adaptive LED Headlights with Laserlight
Head-Up Display
Harman Kardon Surround Sound System
Wireless Charging
Gesture Control
WiFi Hotspot with 3-month or 3GB data trial
Enhanced USB and Bluetooth
Stand-Alone Options
20-inch V-spoke Style 738 wheels with all-season run-flat tires
21-inch Y-spoke Style 744 wheels with performance run-flat tires
M Sport Brakes with blue calipers (red calipers optional from 8/20 production)
Aluminum running boards
Trailer Hitch (7,200 lb. tow rating)
Rear manual side window shades
Front and rear heated seats
Heated front armrests and steering wheel
Aluminum Dark Mesh interior trim
Brown-Metallic Ash Grain Wood trim
Anthracite-Brown Poplar Matte Finish Wood Trim
Front massaging seats
Extended Shadowline trim
Anthracite Alcantara headliner
Alcantara Headliner in upholstery color