A new video filmed in front of BMW UK’s headquarters puts the spotlight on the recently facelifted X5 in the M Performance flavor. With the Life Cycle Impulse, the midsize luxury SUV has earned the M60i badge to mirror a similar transition made by the larger X7 last year. Naturally, the X6 has also dropped the M50i suffix, with all three featuring the company’s newly developed mild-hybrid “S68” engine.
The X5 M60i in question comes finished in M Marina Blue Bay metallic and rides on 22-inch wheels with a two-tone finish and contrasting red brake calipers courtesy of the M Sport Package Pro. The latter also blacks out the grille while giving the headlights the Shadowline treatment. Since we mentioned the kidneys, you’ll notice the M badge that has trickled down from the fully fledged X5 M. The specific mirror design is also inherited from the range-topping version.
The mid-cycle refresh has brought visibly slimmer headlights and a sharper front bumper while the rear hosts updated taillights with an “X” motif. Customers can now get an illuminated grille, but only on the non-V8 models. Going forward, the X5 LCI can be ordered with one of the following new metallic paints: Ridge Mountain, Brooklyn Grey, Skyscraper Grey, and Frozen Pure Grey.
This X5 M60i is a prototype as series production is scheduled to commence in April at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina. Without options, the M Performance model retails for $89,300 ($+995 destination and handling) in the United States, so it’s $3,900 more expensive than the M50i it replaces.
For those who would rather have the crown jewel of the lineup, the 2024 X5 M is scheduled to premiere in a matter of days, together with the equivalent X6 M. Both will use the new twin-turbo, 4.4-liter V8 with over 600 horsepower whereas this M60i has to make do with “only” 523 hp.
