Road Test
X5 M50d is as fast as it is frugal
BMW’s quad-turbo diesel SUV offers fierce performance, though the 22-inch wheels are not made for offroading
This is the diesel-sipping M50d range-topping derivative of the new BMW X5. According to deep-rooted tastes, it isn’t the most driver focused of the lot, although everything about it hints at the contrary. Unlike the previous M50d model, with the new version BMW has upped the ante and it receives a lot of upgrades. The powertrain is the pièce de résistance and BMW has extracted more performance and better efficiency out of the long-serving in-line six-cylinder engine that’s mated to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission. Outputs are now 294kW/760Nm, up from the 280kW/740Nm of the previous version. This leads to a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.2sec compared to … well … err … 5.3sec of the old car. Top speed is now an improved 250km/h instead of 225km/h. Climb inside this X5 M50d and you’ll find a high-end mix of old- and new-school flamboyance of quilted leather, glass gear-lever and starter button alongside Artificial Intelligence, touch sensitive buttons and screen and voice and ge...
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