[10] Bmw Pre Owned At Today Discuss

BMW revealing the Concept X5 eDrive, a plug-in hybrid X5 show car that bows at the 2013 Frankfurt auto show, is so predictable that we wish we had placed bets on it. (Anyone know of any shady, underground gambling rings that focus on future automotive products?) However, the Concept X5 eDrive does feature a few surprises. Despite featuring a plug-in hybrid powertrain, it isn’t being shuffled off to BMW’s i sub-brand, and it previews a more-advanced, downsized future for the hybrid versions of its mainstream models.

Life of i

BMW clearly is taking its i brand seriously, reserving the status only for the most eco-focused, standalone models like the i3 and the i8. But whereas the i cars boast a near-singleminded focus on lightweight materials, and a new “LifeDrive” architectural concept, the X5 eDrive is pretty much a standard X5 with a battery and the addition of an electric motor. Hence, the more pedestrian X5 skips i badging and instead gets the “eDrive” moniker. BMW previously used the eDrive descriptor on last year’s Concept Active Tourer, a front-drive plug-in hybrid hatchback.

Pedestrian or otherwise, the X5 eDrive kicks things up a notch relative to the sport-oriented—but not hugely efficient—hybridized 3-series, 5-series, and 7-series already on sale. Thanks to its fender-located plug port, the SUV’s lithium-ion battery—mounted beneath the trunk floor—can return 19 miles of electric-only driving at speeds up to 75 mph. Electric propulsion is provided by a 94-hp synchronous electric motor, which works in concert with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine of unspecified output or displacement. BMW hybrid aficionados will notice that the gas engine features two fewer cylinders than the turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder utilized in ActiveHybrids 3, 5, and 7; the electric motor also produces 39 more ponies than those cars’ 55-hp motor.

View PhotosMARC URBANO, THE MANUFACTURER

BMW claims the small-displacement X5 is good for up to 74 mpg according to the optimistic European cycle, and yet can still hit 60 mph in less than seven seconds. Three drive modes—Intelligent Hybrid, Pure Electric, and Save Battery—let drivers choose their level of panda-saving. The standard hybrid mode is the default, and drivers may select the other two; Save Battery will conserve charge in the battery for use later in a trip. BMW’s mechanical xDrive all-wheel-drive system helps the SUV tackle foul weather, but appears to lack the technical wizardry of the front-engine, rear-electric-motor setup used by the Lexus RX450h hybrid. BMW didn’t provide details on how the whole shebang operates, but we believe that the electric motor sits between the gas engine and the transmission as it does in BMW’s ActiveHybrids, considering the company says the two together power this X5’s xDrive system.

BMW Hybrids Promise to Drink Less

Visually, the Concept X5 is a new-for-2014 X5 with a few hybrid-y looking bits to set it apart. The grille slats, air intakes, rear bumper trim, and plug port are ringed with the same blue paint color that adorns some of the i3 and i8’s trim pieces. The roof rails are unique—presumably tweaked to reduce aerodynamic drag—and the 21-inch wheels get swoopy spokes evocative of the wheel designs worn by the i3 and i8. Inside, BMW has fitted Proactive Driving Assistant, a gizmo that likely coaches drivers into doing their best impression of geriatric drivers—in the interest of efficiency. The assistant interfaces with the navigation system to provide efficient route guidance by helping to avoid speed variations and traffic.

View PhotosMARC URBANO, THE MANUFACTURER

BMW’s current crop of hybrids all boast more horsepower than their six-cylinder counterparts, but also are noticeably heavier, offsetting most efficiency gains. If the Concept X5 in fact previews a production model as did the Concept Active Tourer that came before it (hello, 1-series Gran Turismo!), BMW’s regular, non-i hybrid models have a more efficiency-minded future to look forward to. This might make those cars less exciting, but higher mpg figures also help better justify higher price tags.

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