BMW stands as one of the largest luxury brands in India. A principle competitor to the market dominator, Mercedes, the company has with time shown growth across the nation. With 2018 not being that a great year for the luxury car segment in India. On top of that, the auto sector is facing a major economic slump, in such times every brand needs a genuine good and reliable product to stay alive in the market. Under these circumstances, the company has decided to throw they are tried and tested model in the BMW X5 to its customers. Over three generations BMW X5 has had a good run in the Indian market. The car returned to the Indian market this year with its 4th generation. Inspiration to most of the SAVs of BMW, X5 was the first SUV of the luxury brand. Since then the company has launched several models, however, almost none has seen success like that of the X5. The launch of the vehicle could not have been better/worse timed. Couldn’t have been better because low luxury sales mean people only investing in vehicles they trust thus getting X5 an advantage. Also, market dominators like Mercedes have seen some audience moving away from them, making X5 a very strong alternative. However, at the same time, if the vehicle doesn’t get a good response, it will not only be a major disappointment for the company it may even result in a market moving away from the brand looking for a strong new product.
EXTERIOR
Back when the product was launched BMW branded their vehicle as SAV instead of SUV. SAV stands for Sport Activity Vehicle. This was done to emphasize its on-road ability despite its size. The car this time around looks smaller than it is. This is even though it is 36mm longer, 19mm taller and a solid 66mm wider than the outgoing ‘F15’ X5. The cars get this look because of its tighter design and a bit overwhelming. The chrome lights all look radical and are the most dominating set-up of the front end along with single piece Kidney grille. The company with this vehicle has decided to drop their signature L shaped backlight design. The change in the size of the car can be very well understood from the wheels which are now up to 20-inches in diameter. This large wheel does not spoil the look though, they are well built and designed to not look that big. Overall the car has a good sporty look. The car commands some amount of attention however from a distance it fails to generate any kind of curiosity. That is because the car is not big enough. The moving away from the signature L-shaped backlight might also generate some negative review. Aside from these few bits, the car is great. It has everything in the right place and it feels like a premium vehicle. The car does stand as one of the sportiest ones which the company has made in a long time.
Interior
The first thing that one notices is that the amount of room that the vehicle offers. With an increase in size, this increase in space was bound to come. This change in the amount of space available however hasn’t been properly invested in. This has resulted in an unnecessary space created between the passenger and front seats. Also, the car makers could have paid more attention to the seats in the back. They do provide a lot of space but the backrest is a bit too upright, and they not adjustable. The car does provide a great ambience. It feels and provides a rich experience. In terms of luxury, this version does see an upgrade. There are thick bars of dull, aluminium brushed unvarnished wood veneer sit on the dashboard, central console and doors. The ‘Vernasca’ leather upholstery, available in 4 colours: cream tan, brown, or black, is delightfully soft, and it comes with double-stitched leather on the dashboard. The front seats are big and plush and provided a wide array of adjustments, including shoulder support. The car has a very large boot. The boot naturally comes at 650-liters but with some modifications to the backseat can go up to 1860-litres. Apart from that too the car provides ample storage area. The car also sees a new infotainments system which carries a new sci-fi look. This new system is uploaded on the crisp 12.3-inch touchscreen. Apart from touch, it can be operated by the traditional click-wheel, the touchpad, voice commands and gesture control as well. The tile-based home screen has been replaced with a more tablet-computer-like clustered system. Overall the internal system of the car is spot on. Though a few places it could have been better but the places where it has underperformed are overshadowed by the overall high functioning of the rest of the system.
Driving
The car is huge and brands itself as sporty. When this is the case the driving needs to be very user-friendly and should satisfy the high ends of both the demands. BMW X5 manages to get the job done. The car provides an effortless drive. One could take it from mountains to heavy traffic roads and the car is unfazed in its delivery. It provides a great experience not only to the driver but the passengers as well. It makes sure things are always under control and keeps the driver empowered. Overall a great ride. Driving is certainly not an issue for the vehicle.
Should I buy One
The car has a lot to offer. It has a new look in a way and provides a lot of space. However, it is the price which might sting many. The X5 starts at Rs 72.90 lakh (ex-showroom, India). This line variant, though, goes up to Rs 82.40 lakh, putting it dangerously close to seven-seat luxury SUVs like the Audi Q7, Volvo XC90 and even the Mercedes-Benz GLS. This price might not sound very friendly but in the car’s defence, it gives a lot more than most of its counterparts. Overall not a bad investment to go with.