Bmw X5 M
The new 2010 BMW X5 M performance crossover is the sort of vehicle we don't want to like, especially since we hold the "M" badge in such high esteem. BMW's Motorsport division has built its reputation on a stellar string of highly focused driver's cars, but now its engineers have gone and slapped an "M" on a brutish luxury SUV. Big, heavy and tall, the X5 M would seem to be the antithesis of every M car that has come before. And yet there's no doubt that BMW has masterfully created one of the best sporting SUVs to date.
BMW has dabbled with high-performance X5s before (it all started with the 2002 X5 4.6is), but this is the first time that the crossover SUV has received an official M treatment. As with other M cars, the X5 M gets an exclusive engine (shared with the mechanically identical X6 M), this time a twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V8 that develops a massive 555 horsepower and 501 pound-feet of torque. Notably, this is 5 more hp than the gonzo Porsche Cayenne Turbo S puts out. A sprint between the two is likely to be a wash -- no small accomplishment for the X5 M given that it costs about $40,000 less.
Also on tap are a number of modifications to make the X5 M handle more like a sport sedan. Standard 20-inch performance tires and a special sport-tuned suspension with adaptive dampers certainly help, but then, a number of crossovers have such features these days. The X5 M's trump card here is what BMW calls "Dynamic Performance Control" (DPC), a sophisticated torque distribution system that works in conjunction with all-wheel drive to send power wherever it's needed most. In hard cornering, for example, the outer wheels receive more power, which counteracts speed-sapping understeer.
The new 2010 BMW X5 M performance crossover is the sort of vehicle we don't want to like, especially since we hold the "M" badge in such high esteem. BMW's Motorsport division has built its reputation on a stellar string of highly focused driver's cars, but now its engineers have gone and slapped an "M" on a brutish luxury SUV. Big, heavy and tall, the X5 M would seem to be the antithesis of every M car that has come before. And yet there's no doubt that BMW has masterfully created one of the best sporting SUVs to date.
BMW has dabbled with high-performance X5s before (it all started with the 2002 X5 4.6is), but this is the first time that the crossover SUV has received an official M treatment. As with other M cars, the X5 M gets an exclusive engine (shared with the mechanically identical X6 M), this time a twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V8 that develops a massive 555 horsepower and 501 pound-feet of torque. Notably, this is 5 more hp than the gonzo Porsche Cayenne Turbo S puts out. A sprint between the two is likely to be a wash -- no small accomplishment for the X5 M given that it costs about $40,000 less.
Also on tap are a number of modifications to make the X5 M handle more like a sport sedan. Standard 20-inch performance tires and a special sport-tuned suspension with adaptive dampers certainly help, but then, a number of crossovers have such features these days. The X5 M's trump card here is what BMW calls "Dynamic Performance Control" (DPC), a sophisticated torque distribution system that works in conjunction with all-wheel drive to send power wherever it's needed most. In hard cornering, for example, the outer wheels receive more power, which counteracts speed-sapping understeer.
Featured for the first time on a BMW M Model, the six-speed automatic transmission enhances the high-performance character of the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M through its spontaneous gearshift, direct connection to the engine, and the high standard of shift comfort. The new M Sports Automatic is controlled by an electronic gear selector lever on the centre console and offers the driver not only the D Mode, but also an S and M Mode for an even more sporting gearshift.
Aluminium gearshift paddles on the steering wheel exclusive to BMW M allow a manual gearshift significantly shortening gearshift times by the new technology reducing torque in the transmission through the deactivation of individual cylinders.
This significantly enhances the sporting character of the car, the gear in mesh being held in position in the M Mode up to maximum engine speed in order to give the driver optimum control of his vehicle also under the most dynamic driving conditions. In other words, the transmission does not shift up automatically at a certain engine speed in this mode.
A further option in the M Mode is to activate the Launch Control function enabling the driver to accelerate from a standstill with maximum performance: With the driver pressing the gas pedal fully down, M Sports Automatic shifts gears automatically at the ideal point and with optimum wheel spin control. An aluminium oil sump again exclusive to BMW M with a special finned or ribbed structure on the surface guarantees optimum cooling at all times even with an extremely sporting style of motoring.
BMW xDrive and Dynamic Performance Control with a special set-up for optimum dynamics.
The outstanding success of BMW's intelligent xDrive all-wheel-drive technology is based on the fact that the system not only improves traction on rough terrain, but also enhances driving dynamics on the road. Electronically controlled, variable power distribution to the front and rear axle prevents even the slightest tendency to over- or understeer right from the start, before DSC Dynamic Stability Control is even required to cut in.
Dynamic Performance Control presented for the first time in the BMW X6 and now featured also in the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M enhances driving stability in demanding situations. Variable distribution of drive power between the right and left rear wheel significantly improves steering precision and tracking stability at all speeds, with DSC being required to stabilise the vehicle only under high lateral acceleration.
Ultimately this offers the driver an unparalleled standard of dynamic performance, agility and traction re-defining all existing benchmarks in drivetrain and suspension technology.
In the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M the potentials of both systems are again used in that special style of BMW M, with the driver able to activate the M Dynamic Mode (MDM) by means of the DSC button on the centre console. This mode raises the DSC control thresholds for intervention in the brakes and the reduction of engine power and ensures the steering behaviour typical of BMW M by shifting the xDrive control features more to the rear wheels and interacting with Dynamic Performance Control in the process.
As a result, MDM allows maximum speeds in bends and on winding roads with the system cutting in very late when the vehicle reaches the absolute limit. Even under maximum load in the apex of a bend, therefore, the vehicle follows the steering with utmost precision, giving the driver very high speed when leaving the bend in the interest of optimum performance. And last but not least, the DSC-Off Mode may be activated at the touch of a button.
Apart from the DSC Mode and the specific set-up of both the dampers and the steering, the driver is also able to configure the set-up of the drivetrain on the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M according to his personal requirements. Activating the Power Mode which influences both engine and transmission control, the driver has the choice of both the Sports and Efficiency driving programs.
The Sports program allows precise dosage of engine power also under the most dynamic driving conditions specifically through the linear build-up of the power delivered.
The Efficiency program, in turn, shifts up gears at an early point in time not only to significantly reduce fuel consumption under practical driving conditions, but also to allow a relaxed style of motoring using the supreme torque and pulling force of the engine available from low engine speeds. The result, therefore, is an ideal combination of efficient motoring and supreme driving qualities.
In the M Drive menu the driver is able to pre-configure both the Power Mode and the set-up of DSC and EDC, the combination of settings chosen providing the set-up preferred by the driver under all conditions. The driver is even able to save his favourite set-up and subsequently retrieve it at any time simply by pressing the M Drive button on the steering wheel.
The M Drive menu is yet another specific M feature supplementing the vehicle, infotainment, navigation, air conditioning and communication functions already controlled by BMW iDrive. Both the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M are equipped with the latest generation of iDrive and come as an option with a Head-Up Display again specific to BMW M. Indeed, this function even enables the driver to vary the type and scope of the data projected on to the windscreen in accordance with the M Drive menu.
The good
BMW throws every tech trick in the book, and invents some new ones, to make the 2010 BMW X5 M one of the best performing SUVs on the road. The hard-drive-based navigation system includes satellite imagery and dynamic routing around traffic congestion, while reserving 15 gigabytes of space for music storage. A top-down view is included in the parking system.
The bad
All this horsepower results in dismal fuel economy. A poor color scheme makes the navigation system's street maps difficult to read. The cabin tech interface has some quirks, such as two different settings menus.
The bottom line
Technically stunning, the 2010 BMW X5 M works as track car and sport driver, but its bad fuel economy will make the daily commute costly. The cabin tech also offers a lot, but a few features fall short of the cutting edge.
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