BMW X5 - The new shape, a new face, it's the E70

Nice new makeover for the class-leading, and still desirable X5 :-)


Wikipedia describes ...
The BMW E70 automobile platform is the development name for the current X5 SAV/SUV. It replaced the BMW E53 in November 2006. The new generation BMW X5 is 60 mm (2.4 in) wider, 165 mm (6.5 in) longer; with a 110 mm (4.3 in) longer wheelbase, but remains at the height of the previous generation X5 at 1766 mm (69.5 in). It is manufactured alongside the new, 2008 BMW X6 at BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina plant in the USA. The xDrive AWD system updates previewed in the facelifted X3 have continued with further detail improvements for the E70. It uses a double wishbone suspension at the front.

The E70 features many new technological advancements for this class as standard equipment including BMW's iDrive system, electronic 'joystick' gearshift (no mechanical connection to the gearbox to win space in the console), LED taillamps, and options such as head-up display HUD, active steering, active damping, and Dynamic Drive which uses active anti-roll bars which use a motor in the middle to actively counteract body roll.

The interior of the new, larger, X5 is completely new. It has a large center-mounted display screen and the simplified iDrive, a man-machine interface system also found in the rest of the BMW model range. The E70 further incorporates many comfort options such as a glass panorama-roof, and, for the first time in a BMW, an optional third row seat which has increased the seating capacity in E70 to 7 passengers, addressing criticism of the E53 model which had been regarded as being slightly too small for this market segment.

The E70 is also the first production vehicle to use FlexRay, a new extremely fast electrical bus system; it is only used for the control of the chassis damping system. The new 'joy-stick'-style electronic space-saving shifter has since been adopted in the new 2008 BMW 5 Series.

It is speculated that another future "M-Sport" Model, due in 2009, will have a 4.4L Twin Turbo V8 (N63B44 engine) that will produce about 430 horsepower (320 kW). Transmission choices differ from that offered today - 6-speed Steptronic automatic will be offered as a standard option.

On November 15, 2007, the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) announced that the current X5 and X3 models were the top safety picks for all mid-size SUV models.

X5 Security
It is a variant with safety glass, heavy-duty material and ballistics-resistant steel.
It was debuted in 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show.