BMW rolls out new X5 model

BMW Group launched its new BMW X5 on Friday in Tengchong, in Southwest China's Yunnan province, as part of German auto giant's efforts to strengthen its high-end brand positioning.

"The all-new BMW X5 has been substantially upgraded in design, dynamic performance and applying high technologies, which is representative of BMW's brand position, creativity and market leadership," Liu Zhi, president of BMW China Automotive Trading Ltd, said on Friday at the launch event.

Anders Thogersen, the designer of the new BMW X5, said the new model is equipped with design language that gives it the capability of interaction with the driver and passengers.

The new model's face looks more vivid, thanks to more detailed design of the headlights and an enlarged double-kidney grille, Thogersen added.

The lines on the new BMW X5 are strictly and precisely designed, to the extent that even the light and shadow of the lines when exposed in the sun are noticeable, according to the designer.

As for the interior appearance, the new model adopts materials with more exquisite and luxurious textures, including a newly introduced gear lever with crystal texture.

"From the perspective of design, we'd like to use these delicate and hand-made materials to counterbalance the icy feeling brought by the pervasively applied technology," Thogersen noted.

Equipped with the seventh-generation BMW iDrive connectivity system, the all-new BMW X5 enables commands using voice, touch, view and gestures.

The driver and passengers can accept or reject calls, listen to music, adjust the volume, check the weather and call up navigation by seven specific gestures and natural language, according to the automaker.

The professional driver-assistance system adopted by the new BMW X5 caters to the driver with 11 advanced functions, including driving assistance in traffic congestion, on narrow paths and when changing lanes.

The reverse driving assistance system－an innovation developed by BMW－can record the wheel path in real time and enable the car to move backward by 50 meters automatically when necessary.

Coupled with an inline 6-cylinder gasoline engine and an 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, the new model can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 5.5 seconds, while the fuel consumption per hundred kilometers is 8.6 liters, ranking top in its segment, according to the automaker.

The new BMW X5 has a maximum output of 250 kilowatts and a top torque of 450 Newton meters. The car body is 4,930 millimeters in length, with the wheelbase stretched to 2,975 mm.

The suggested price of the new model ranges from 809,900 to 909,900 yuan ($117,671 to $132,201). BMW X5 is a pioneer of the sport activity vehicle segment, and has achieved a total sales volume of more than 2.1 million units globally with its first three generations in the past 20 years, according to the automaker.

The launch of the new X5 marks the finale of BMW's Year of X, which refers to the carmaker's decision to introduce more models in its X family into China－its largest single market worldwide.

BMW launched the new X2 in June, the new China-made X3 in July and the new X4 in August. The carmaker is scheduled to present its largest SAV X7 to Chinese consumers in 2019.