2019-04-01 BMW Car

APRIL 2019 13

FIRST DRIVE

Elevated

numbers

S

ix cylinders. Four turbochargers

(yes, FOUR). Four hundred

horsepower. A 5.2-second

0-62mph time, and a price tag

the wrong side of 70 grand.

Present someone – even a hardened

petrolhead – with those stats and they’ll

guess you’re talking about some exotic

sports car before you break it to them

gently that you are, in fact, referring to the

current range-topper in the G05 X5 SUV

range, the mighty M50d.

Many won’t notice that the M50d is

just that, especially as there are so many

M Sport variants of the regular xDrive30d

on the road, plenty of them with up-sized

rims and other options. The M50d does,

however, come with a choice of 22in

alloy wheel designs as standard, which

do a great job of filling the considerable

wheel arches. They also serve to visually

shrink the X5, a car that can look nothing

short of gargantuan in certain colours and

specifications.

LOUD AND PROUD!

Not that the M50d is a shrinking violet...

There’s a simply massive ‘M50d’ badge

on the back for starters. That’s finished in

the BMW M Performance Vehicle signature

colour, Cerium Grey, a hue that extends to

the bespoke dual-exit exhaust system (more

of which in a moment), side sills, door

mirror caps, M badges on the front wings

and even to the large kidney grille up front.

Any one of those on their own is subtle, but

all together, and especially when paired with

a dark paint colour, and they help the M50d

stand out from its ‘lesser’ X5 brethren.

That front grille is flanked by adaptive

LED headlights as standard in the M50d

(with High-Beam Assistant, as well) – a

£700 extra in the rest of the line-up. But

I’d expect many M50d buyers to stump

up the extra £895 to upgrade to BMW

Laserlights, signified by distinctive, blue

inserts that emphasise the technical

appearance of the X5’s nose.

Like all variants of the G05 X5, you

really have to climb up into the interior

of the M50d, where it continues that

technological theme, most obviously thanks

to the inclusion of the full, BMW Digital Live

Cockpit Professional, with pair of 12.3in

screens plus the full suite of interface

options. That means the driver (and

indeed their passengers) can use voice

and gesture control to complement the

quick-acting touchscreen and the traditional

iDrive rotary controller in the middle.

INTERIOR ENHANCEMENTS

A couple of subtle enhancements mark

out the M50d’s cabin, including illuminated

‘M50d’ door sills front and back, and an

upgraded sound system by Harman/

Kardon. Otherwise, the specification

mirrors that of the M Sport cars, so,

along with plenty of M badges and a

tactile ‘Aluminium Tetragon’ trim effect,

there’s lovely Vernasca leather upholstery

as standard. That touch of luxury is

complemented by the sporty look of the

M leather-trimmed steering wheel, M alloy

pedals and even specific velour floor mats.

Given the price jump of about 10 grand

from the X5 xDrive30d M Sport to the

M50d, some might expect more but, let’s

face it, this car is all about what’s under the

bonnet. Tell someone you have an X5 and

they might politely be a little interested;

tell them it has quad turbocharging and

I’ll bet their ears prick up. BMW takes its

core straight-six 3.0-litre block and bolts

four turbochargers to it, enabling the

headline 400hp and 560lb ft of torque

outputs (up from 265hp and 457lb ft in

the xDrive30d). That’s simplifying things

somewhat, I realise.

While the 2,993cc swept volume, bore

and stroke are identical to the engine in the

xDrive30d, the M50d’s engine has a slight

reduction in compression ratio (down from

16.5:1 to 16.0:1). Both use common rail

Read the vital stats on the new BMW X5 M50d and you’ll

wonder how they can relate to a two-tonne luxury SUV but,

as Shane O’ Donoghue discovers, they certainly do