Article Summary
- The next-generation BMW X5 M could enter production in April 2028 as a fully electric SUV.
- It would be the first BMW M product with gas and electric versions sharing the same platform.
- Our own sources say a V8-powered X5 M is also happening, alongside an M Performance model with a detuned version of the same twin-turbo, 4.4-liter engine.
Not long to go until BMW takes the wraps off the new X5. The fifth generation of Munich’s original luxury SUV premieres this summer with six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. Customers will also be able to choose plug-in hybrid and battery-electric versions before a hydrogen model launches in select markets in 2028. If you’re after performance rather than efficiency, there will be plenty of options as well.
According to a reliable insider who shares insights on the Bimmer Post forums, a fully electric X5 M is just two years away from entering production. BMW is allegedly putting the “G95” without a combustion engine on the assembly line in April 2028. It would be one of the six electric SUVs it has announced to build in Spartanburg, South Carolina, by the end of the decade.
Although the person familiar with the company’s plans hasn’t heard anything about a gasoline-fueled model, we believe it’s also coming. Predictably, it’s expected to use the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 rather than losing two cylinders. This S68 engine, possibly paired with mild-hybrid tech, may also be used in a detuned configuration for an M Performance model.
Whether BMW will sell eight-cylinder models in Europe is unclear, given the continent’s stricter emissions regulations. It’s getting tougher for BMW and other automakers to sell performance models with large-displacement engines there. The need to detune the V8 in the M5 and XM shows how complying with legislation requires compromises. At the very least, the rumored X5 M60e plug-in hybrid with a six-cylinder gasoline engine should receive approval from EU regulators.
The flagship X5 could go down in history as the first BMW M product to offer both electric and gasoline models on the same platform, CLAR. Although a new M3 with six cylinders will join the electric M3, the two sedans will ride on different architectures. The former will stick with CLAR, while the latter will use the Neue Klasse platform. In the X5’s case, both sides of the M coin would share CLAR.
The next-generation X6 M (G96) could follow the same playbook by spawning both V8 and electric M derivatives. However, any full-fat M variants are unlikely to arrive before 2029, considering the standard X6 isn’t due until mid-2028.
All told, the lineup is about to become even more complex. Managing such a vast portfolio must be a logistical challenge, but BMW knows what it’s doing. For consumers, this breadth of choice is a win. Whether you prefer big engines, plug-in hybrids, or EVs, the M division has something prepared to suit your tastes.
Source: Bimmer Post
