# BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale **Source:** https://glitchwire.com/news/bmw-unveils-fifth-generation-x5-with-five-powertrains-and-the-brands-first-elect/ **Published:** 2026-06-30T16:40:33.830Z **Author:** Tech Desk · Glitchwire **Categories:** Gadgets, Tech ## Summary The 2027 BMW X5 arrives with gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric, and hydrogen variants. It marks the most significant overhaul in the nameplate's 27-year history. ## Article BMW has officially revealed the fifth-generation X5, codenamed G65, and the scope of the undertaking is hard to overstate. The new X5 will be the company's first production model to offer five types of powertrains: gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, EV, and hydrogen fuel cell. That makes the X5 a kind of rolling hedge against the uncertain direction of the car industry. The fifth-generation X5 debuted today following weeks of teasers and at least one substantial leak that surfaced days ahead of the reveal. Production starts in August 2026 at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina, with deliveries expected late this year or early 2027 depending on the market. The hydrogen-powered iX5 Hydrogen won't arrive until 2028. ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 1 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/cf9ce3ea-57f9-47c6-8afe-4d104ea859f8.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 2 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/5f658ff7-1956-4d2b-8ce1-49bbd5c1a7c0.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 3 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/614b356a-58a1-4834-be1b-41971bbb5cb0.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 4 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/23cc8e67-bc64-47bd-b173-981ae674a2dd.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 5 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/385b1f5a-49d5-487e-9026-358ca4bcdb6a.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 6 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/afd8947f-3a1f-4d75-86db-5178ffbcd44a.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 7 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/2cc087c5-fb4b-47f9-98be-d723c917c85f.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 8 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/39bbac86-fe97-41b9-b062-2f2f47ea9f17.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 9 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/3234f11b-fba9-4512-9400-84f71daa18a6.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 10 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/dbad2ea0-2655-4b99-8253-f38689cebcc9.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 11 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/5496173f-703f-4f69-ba4e-9b5afcd023b6.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 12 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/d562585d-5808-43a9-a714-351e6ebf7d52.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 13 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/56d45826-0447-46bf-80c0-f1577e7ac290.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ![BMW Unveils Fifth-Generation X5 With Five Powertrains and the Brand's First Electric SUV at This Scale — image 14 of 14](https://cdn.glitchwire.com/6287ab69-bafc-45dc-a9b3-02c98718761f.webp) *Image Credit: BMW* ## Design and Interior The exterior takes heavy cues from BMW's Neue Klasse lineup. The new X5 sports a kidney grille that is of a similar shape to those seen on the latest iX3, while being considerably smaller than on the outgoing fourth-generation X5. The grille is illuminated for visual impact in the dark. The new model stands out from the rest of the SUV lineup with X-shaped daytime running lights. The historic split tailgate is gone, replaced by a single-piece unit and wide full-width tail lights. That two-part tailgate had been a signature element since the X5 launched in 1999. Its removal is a clear signal that BMW is willing to trade nostalgia for a unified design language. The door handles sit low, just under the window line, in the same winglet shape BMW previously reserved for the Speedtop and Skytop ultra-low-volume specialty builds. The old iDrive controller is gone, replaced by a 17.9-inch central touchscreen, an optional 14.6-inch passenger display and BMW's Panoramic Vision projection that runs pillar to pillar across the base of the windscreen. The biggest practical change is that the X5 is two-row only: the optional third row has been dropped entirely. ## Powertrain Options BMW has confirmed a 40 xDrive mild-hybrid AWD variant with 394 hp and a 50e xDrive plug-in hybrid AWD variant with 570 horsepower. The electric iX5 is the headliner. It uses BMW's sixth-generation eDrive technology on an 800V architecture with cylindrical battery cells. The battery is 144 kWh usable in the US, which BMW confirms is the largest high-voltage pack it has put in any production model. Two motors produce a combined 578 horsepower with xDrive all-wheel drive standard. The battery-powered iX5 tips the scales at just over 2,800 kilograms, making it BMW's heaviest production model ever. The weight difference between the lightest G65 and the iX5 is approximately 600 kilograms, more than 1,300 pounds. The iX5 comes with air suspension, electronically controlled adaptive dampers, active rear steering, and active roll stabilization as standard. ## Pricing and Availability In Germany, the range opens at €94,800 for the 40d diesel and €98,800 for the 40 xDrive petrol, with the iX5 60 xDrive and 50e plug-in hybrid both at €102,800 and the M60e topping out at €125,000. The petrol and diesel models go on sale first, from 28 November 2026, with the plug-in hybrids and the electric iX5 following on 6 March 2027. Prices are anticipated to start around USD 68,000 in the US market, according to industry reports. The X5 is BMW's best-selling nameplate globally, with more than 3.1 million units sold across four generations. The bet here is obvious: rather than forcing customers into a single powertrain, BMW wants to keep the X5 relevant regardless of how the regulatory landscape shifts over the next decade. BMW is currently estimating G65 production to run through July 2035. A long lifecycle. The breadth of powertrains explains why. Whether the engineering holds together across a 1,300-pound weight variance between variants is a question that can only be answered with seat time. For now, BMW has made its position clear: the X5 is staying, and it will meet buyers wherever they land on the electrification spectrum. The [BMW M Concept Neue Klasse](/news/bmw-m-concept-neue-klasse-previews-an-800-horsepower-electric-m3-and-kills-the-f/) previewed some of this design direction earlier, but the X5's five-powertrain approach goes further than any BMW before it. --- **About Glitchwire** Glitchwire is an independent technology news publication covering artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, science, security, policy, finance, and the broader technology industry. 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