BMW X5 xDrive45e: full details, pricing and specs

Prices new plug-in hybrid BMW X5 xDrive45e start from £63,165, with the entry-level xLine trim including adaptive air suspension, acoustic warning for pedestrians, leather upholstery, a digital driver’s readout, full phone connectivity and an infotainment system.

Power comes from a 282bhp, 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, as well as a 111bhp electric motor that draws energy from a 24kWh lithium-ion battery pack. As such, combined power is given as 389bhp, with pure electric range of up to 54 miles.

Intended to offer the full four-wheel-drive, performance SUV experience as well as efficiency, the X5 PHEV will do 0-62mph in just 5.6 seconds and go on to a top speed of 146mph. Even in pure electric mode, the xDrive45e will continue to deliver four-wheel drive and manage speeds of over 80mph before needing to wake the petrol engine.

The big battery and long electric range give the X5 impressive CO2 emissions, too, with a figure as low as 39g/km and fuel economy of up to 235.4mpg. Like any plug-in hybrid, achieving those figures in the real world relies on regular charging of the battery via the Type 2 plug, which is located on the car's front passenger wing. Not doing so will result in fuel economy befitting a petrol-fuelled performance SUV.

A full charge should take under four hours from a dedicated 7kW wallbox, while a standard three-pin socket will do the same in around 11 hours.

Meanwhile, upgrading the standard 19-inch alloys to bigger alternatives can drop the efficiency to 49 miles of electric running, 41g/km of CO2 and 188.3mpg.

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Even if you do go for bigger wheels, the X5 falls into the lowest BiK company-car tax band of 16% and also gets free entry into the London Congestion Zone until October 2021.

Thanks to the positioning of the battery, boot space in the X5 xDrive45e falls from 550 to 500 litres when compared with the non-hybrid models in the line-up. With the rear seats folded down, luggage capacity rises to 1,720 litres.

M Sport trim gets uprated brakes, 20-inch alloy wheels, illuminated door sill finishers and various other style upgrades inside and out, and tops the range at £66,665 on the road. 

The BMW X5 xDrive45e is available to order now, with deliveries expected later in 2019 when it will take on rivals including the Volvo XC90 T8 and Range Rover Sport P400e.