BMW might not have a world premiere at Pebble Beach this year but it still has plenty of fresh products to show. Originally presented in public at The Amelia in early March, the 2024 X5 M boasts one of the oldest color schemes as Boston Green was made famous during the good ol’ days of the 3 Series E36. With this being the facelifted version, it’s a Competition model as the Bavarian brand has dropped the standard model.
While the fullsize X7 went through some major design changes for its LCI, the X5 is more along the lines of subtle evolution. Nevertheless, there are still quite a few modifications, such as slimmer non-laser matrix LED headlights, an updated kidney grille with horizontal bars, and fresh graphics for the taillights. The most notable modification is found inside where the iDrive 8 now calls home, resulting in a simplified dashboard with fewer conventional controls.
This particular X5 M with the LCI applied has the optional Shadowline headlights and the all-black grille introduced with the 2024MY. At the rear, fiber optic light guide elements shaped like an “X” spruce up the performance SUV’s derrière. Those 818M style wheels have a star-spoke design with a bi-color look and measure 21 inches front / 22 inches rear.
Although the X5 M Competition is now more expensive than ever, it still undercuts the XM by nearly $37,000 or almost as much as a 230i Coupe. It has a far less controversial design and does away with the added heft of a plug-in hybrid. However, it too is electrified since the facelifted model now has a mild-hybrid setup based around the new S68 engine shared with the XM.
It’s still a twin-turbo, 4.4-liter V8 with the power figures carried over – 617 hp and 553 lb-ft. However, the electric motor built into the eight-speed Steptronic automatic delivers a temporary boost of 12 hp and 147 lb-ft. BMW quotes a 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 177 mph provided you opt for the M Driver’s Package.
The 2024 X5 M Competition has been in production in Spartanburg, South Carolina since April and retails from $122,300 MSRP before options and the $995 destination/handling fees.
