Article Summary
- The fifth-generation BMW X5 offers automatic doors through its optional Luxury Package in the U.S.
- Owners can operate the doors by touch, voice, center display, My BMW App, or, on the driver’s side, the brake pedal.
- Similar technology is available on the BMW 7 Series, Rolls-Royce models, Tesla Model X, Mercedes-Maybachs, and new Audi SUVs.
The fifth-generation BMW X5 is arguably the model’s most ambitious entry yet. The G65 retains the proportions and apparent versatility that have made the X5 a success for decades, but adds cutting-edge Neue Klasse design and technology. Buyers will eventually be able to choose from gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric, and hydrogen powertrains, depending on the market. BMW Panoramic iDrive, an available passenger display, and a cabin trimmed with materials ranging from glass to natural slate further move the X5 upmarket. But one of its most conspicuous luxury features appears before anyone even gets inside: optional automatic doors.
How the BMW X5’s Automatic Doors Work
BMW’s latest How-To video demonstrates how little effort the system requires. Instead of conventional pull-style exterior handles, the X5 uses small BMW Winglets integrated near the window line. Touch the appropriate sensor and the door unlatches before swinging open under electric power. Touch it again and the door closes. Passengers can operate the system from inside using buttons mounted on the door panels. The driver can also close the open doors through the 17.9-inch center display or with a voice command. Perhaps the neatest shortcut is reserved for the driver’s door: once seated, pressing the brake pedal closes it automatically.
Owners can also control the doors remotely through the My BMW App and decide which doors should open when they approach the vehicle. That could prove useful when loading children or assisting a passenger, although anyone navigating a tight parking lot may prefer to open only the driver’s door. Radar sensors integrated into the X5’s side skirts monitor the surrounding area and prevent the doors from swinging into another vehicle, wall, cyclist, or pedestrian. BMW says radar also allows the system to operate more quickly than alternatives using different sensor technology. Should the powered mechanism become unavailable, a servo mode allows the doors to be opened manually without requiring unusual effort.
What Other Cars Have Automatic Doors?
Automatic doors remain unusual, but the X5 is joining a growing club. Within BMW’s lineup, the technology first appeared on the current 7 Series and electric i7. There, the doors can similarly be operated through interior controls, the My BMW App, voice commands, or the brake pedal.
Rolls-Royce has offered powered doors for years, making them a familiar feature on vehicles such as the Phantom, Ghost, Spectre, and Cullinan. The X5 is therefore effectively receiving technology developed for considerably more expensive relatives. Outside the BMW Group, the Tesla Model X combines electrically powered front doors with its signature Falcon Wing rear doors. Audi is moving in the same direction: the latest Q7 and larger Q9 offer optional automatic doors with obstacle detection and app-based operation. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV has automatic comfort doors at all four corners, while the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class offers powered rear doors.
“Maybach-fighter” isn’t generally the first thing that springs to mind when you think of the BMW X5. But perhaps this feature, more than any other, demonstrates just how far BMW’s original SUV has moved since 1999. Automatic doors are just one of several new features the G65 chassis sees. But it might just be the most opulent.
