New X5 tested: Business as usual for BMW's seminal SUV?

On the normal air suspension, it feels similar to the current X5, which is to say broadly comfortable but slightly more wooden and connected than some of the more magic-carpet options in the class.

On the surface, the 50e xDrive’s PHEV drivetrain hasn’t changed from the previous generation. The vital specs are the same: 308bhp from the engine, 194bhp from the electric motor, 18.7kWh battery for around 60 miles of electric range.

The engineers say the cells are different internally and the motor is slightly more efficient, there’s more armour on the bottom of the battery to protect it from being punctured, and the handover between electric and engine-on running is smoother than before, but I can’t help being disappointed that they haven’t managed to take it to the next level.

While BMW says that its customers are happy with the current PHEV’s electric performance, it’s beginning to look a bit last-generation, given the way some of the Chinese players are starting to offer EV power and range in their PHEVs.

On electric power alone, it’s possible to accelerate to motorway speeds and up to 87mph, just not very quickly. It’s only when the six-cylinder engine fires up that you’re getting the power and soundscape that’s worth paying for.

My test car had the active anti-roll bars and four-wheel steering, and they do enhance the experience. The point of the active anti-roll bars seems less to improve the handling and more to benefit comfort, because when you’re just driving in a more or less straight line they can be disconnected to give the suspension freedom to move. The result is a noticeably smoother ride than on the mild hybrid and iX5 EV that lacked them. The rear-steering adds some agility and low-speed manoeuvrability without making the handling nervous or distant, as it can do on some cars.

Having said all that, my favourite of the three X5 variants to drive was the EV. Although there is a lot of weight, it’s positioned low down, making the iX5 feel a bit more planted than the others.

Apart from the design and infotainment, which are the same as on the iX5 and still largely secret, things look like business as usual for the X5. There isn’t a whole lot wrong with the current X5, so in a way that’s quite comforting. The diesel and the EV will arrive first in March, with the other versions following later. Assuming prices remain more or less the same, the X5 should continue to do well.

BMW X5 40 xDrive

Big visual changes, smaller mechanical ones. The X5 continues to possess a wide range of talents, centred on great engines