The aerodynamic flair of the all-new BMW X5

The word “flair” contains the word “air” and that is exactly how the launching of the third generation BMW X5, as well as the vehicle itself, can be described.  At the veranda and front polo field of the posh Manila Polo Club last Friday, white tents, white tablecloths, white divans and a live band all clad in white under an open white tent facing the guests presented an elegant yet sporty setting befitting the 2014 BMW X5 xDrive30d Sport Activity Vehicle (SAV), which was the huge centerpiece on the lawn under a white car cover. Live music pulsing to a Latin beat, soft lights, buffet tables replete with sumptuous aperitifs and an open bar intensified the sense of anticipation of the X5’s unveiling.

Asian Carmakers Corp. (ACC), the exclusive Philippine distributor of BMW vehicles and parts, created a most congenial atmosphere for the X5’s reveal. ACC  chair Jose “Pepito” Ch. Alvarez, aka the popular governor of Palawan, opened the program by welcoming everyone, followed by the gracious ACC president Maricar Parco and dapper ACC executive director for sales and marketing Glen Dasig.

THE SAV is superb for going to the beach, the golf course or country club, or driving out of town.

Tracing the history of the X5 in the Philippines, Parco said it was first introduced to the global market in 1999 and over here in 2002 “as the pioneering vehicle that forever changed the face of the luxury SAV segment and led to others following suit, but none coming close to the original. . . . . Over the years, the BMW X5 has continued to evolve into a versatile SAV that exudes the same commanding presence as those on top.  Like a Boss.”

MUSCULAR. Describing the third iteration of the X5, Dasig presented it as “the marriage between the ruggedness and functionality of a Sport Utilility Vehicle and the dynamism and luxuriousness of a typical BMW vehicle.”  He pointed out that with sharper body lines, a wider rear and an overall more muscular design, the all-new BMW X5 turns heads wherever it goes.  And as expected, the BMW X5 looks more athletic than its Audi and Mercedes-Benz rivals.

After the thankfully short speeches by the ACC execs, we, the motoring media and ACC clients were advised not to use flash cameras. Then a light and sound presentation dazzled us, revealing the new X5 in a changing panoply of colors, beginning with white.  After this, two more X5 units entered the scene and we were invited to touch, examine and sit in the newest BMW product in the Philippines.

WHEN you board the X5, you will be pleased by the airiness and increased spaciousness of the interior.

Surprisingly enough, I was the first and only guest to request that the hood be opened so that we could look at the engine.  A marketing staffer obliged and told me that the 2014 BMW X5 xDrive 30d is powered by a 3-liter, six cylinders-in-line common rail diesel engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology (high precision direct fuel injection and Valvetronic variable valve timing). Mated to an eight-speed sport automatic gearbox with BMW EfficientDynamics technology, it delivers 258 hp/4,000 rpm and 560 Nm/1,500-3,000 rpm max torque.  This SAV slingshots from zero to 100 kilometers per hour (kph) in 6.9 seconds, has a top speed of 230 kph and averages 6.2 liters per 100 kilometer.

TOP SPEED. I told him that, judging from my past experience with BMW cars, the X5 could go faster than its vaunted top speed—but only if it has no speed limiter. He assured me that the speed limiter, if present, could be adjusted so that no speed warning would chime and no yellow exclamation point would appear on the instrument panel (as it did when I recently drove the BMW 320d gran turismo past 100 kph.)

So that was the flair with which the new X5 was revealed last week, now comes the air, or its airiness. When you board the X5, you will be pleased by the airiness and increased spaciousness of the interior aside from the luxurious, high-quality materials, the variety of gadgets (including a 10.2-inch screen atop the dash that features a lot of infotainment including vehicle angle, roll and pitch, a compass, etc. plus an on-board computer system), flexibility offered by a 40/20/40 split folding  rear seat backrest which, when stowed, increases cargo space from 650 to 1,870 liters, allowing four golf bags to be loaded. The roominess up front and the second row seat compares with the 5 Series sedan’s

The new X5 achieved a coefficient of drag (Cd) of 31, as sleek as many cars, by shedding 170 lbs compared to the outgoing model, via the use of aluminum and other lightweight materials and air-channeling bodywork.   The body is littered with air vents and breathers for aerodynamic performance and better fuel economy.  Active upper and lower front air flap controls, drag-reducing Air Curtains, vertical aero blades at the rear window, deflectors on the front wheel arches and other detail improvements make the X5 the best-in-class in aerodynamic design.

GUIDED AIR FLOW. The drag-reducing Air Curtains appear for the first time in the X5.  These are vertical apertures that guide the inflowing air around the wheel arches, where it creates a curtain of air over the wheel before making a controlled escape through the Air Breathers in the side panels.

Summing up, BMW has succeeded in producing a lighter and faster X5 with all-around value and performance.  Like every BMW, the new X5 offers meticulous craftsmanship, cutting-edge technology, fuel efficiency, premium comfort, luxuriousness and nearly perfect on-road manners.

But remember that despite its big, robust construction, AWD and underbody protection, its road-biased tires and low ride height do not qualify the X5 for serious off-road adventuring or to go wading up to its window line in water, mud or boulders.  The X5 is a Sport Activity Vehicle, not a sport utility vehicle with a 4×4 transfer case. Thus the SAV is superb for going to the beach, the golf course or country club, or driving out of town.

ACC offers three 2014 X5 30d variants:  Standard for P6.490 million, Pure Experience for  P6.990 million and Pure Excellence for P6.990 million.

Looking back, people familiar with BMW’s heritage must have been mildly shocked when the first X5 was released in 1999.  Perhaps even some of BMW’s top managers themselves never thought that the X5 would be so successful.

But the gamble paid off big, creating a new lifestyle niche of luxury car, the Sport Activity Vehicle, with smaller versions, the X3 and the X1, following thereafter with almost as much success worldwide as the X5.