Whether it’s a hatchback, coupe, or sedan, BMW wants you to believe it has built the ultimate driving machine. Well, at least that was its slogan many moons ago. The SUVs fit into the same category, and the X5 was the original high-riding BMW when the E53 came out back in 1999. Nowadays, the luxobarge has entered the latter half of its fourth generation, and journalists were curious to find out how this LCI model handles.
After testing the XM a few months ago, the Spanish folks at KM77 subjected the facelifted X5 to a slalom test followed by the dreaded moose test. The vehicle in question is an xDrive30d version with the M Sport Package, air suspension, and 21-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires measuring 275/40 R21 front and 315/35 R21 rear.
In the slalom test, the 2024 BMW X5 managed to complete the course in a more than decent 23.7 seconds. It perfectly matched the time achieved by the M340d Touring. The journalists were left impressed with how well it behaved given its size and weight. It was only a tenth of a second slower than the much smaller Cupra Born. It proved to be 0.2s quicker than the iX1 xDrive30 and 0.3s quicker than the i4 eDrive40.
In the subsequent moose test, the diesel X5 didn’t necessarily excel. The first attempt had an entrance speed of 48 mph (77 km/h) but the SUV hit a couple of cones. It wasn’t until the driver lowered the entrance speed to 45 mph (72 km/h) and set the suspension in sport mode that the vehicle completed the test without taking down any cones.
Overall, the updated premium SUV behaved admirably for a vehicle of its heft. While it’s predictably not as nimble as a sports car that weighs less and has a lower center of gravity, it doesn’t feel overly bulky either. Of course, the X5 M60i and the X5 M should perform even better in the slalom and moose tests thanks to their sharper handling and stiffer suspension setups.
Source: km77.com / YouTube
