Go! Drive & Camp – September 2019

http://www.weg.co.za go! Drive & Camp^ September 2019 |^85

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620 Nm@2000-2500rpm 195kW@ 4000 rpm

Torque (Nm) Output (kW)

Engine speed (rpm)

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

BMW X5 POWER AND TORQUE CURVES

Heavier fuel consumption

is a given, but the remarkable

thing is that you can see on the

instrument panel how many

Newton metres and kilowatts

the engine uses to keep the

towing combination running at

any given time. The two graphs

are next to each other on the

electronic screen in front of you

and you see exactly how much

power the car uses while towing.

The Newton meter needle

goes up to 600 Nm, while the

engine can actually deliver up to

620 Nm. Yet, it gives good insight

to be able to see when the

engine is working harder than

necessary, and you may be able

to ease off on the pedal while

maintaining momentum.

On a level highway, at

TOW MATES The X5 and towing are best of friends. This is thanks in part to

the X5’s computer that recognises when you’ve hitched a caravan or off-

road trailer and inserted its light plug. The index lines on the infotainment

screen and reverse camera also lines you up perfectly.

line appears in the centre of
the screen that curves in the
direction the steering wheel is
turned. That’s how the X5 helps
you to the coupler.
When you connect the light
plug, the computer doesn’t
simply assume everything is
hunky-dory with the caravan’s
wiring. Should an error be
detected somewhere in the

system, the computer will warn

you. In our case, the computer

warned us that there was a fault

with the plate light (our trailer

had no number-plate light).

See what you’re using

Torque delivery matters when

you tow, but you also realise

you’re going to fork out more

at the petrol station.