It’s safe to say the fifth-generation X5 will offer something for everyone. BMW has already announced that the “G65” will be the brand’s first production model to feature five types of drivetrains. In addition to the usual gasoline and diesel variants, the plug-in hybrid will return, along with two new additions. Both will be EVs, one battery-powered and the other with a hydrogen fuel cell.
Echoing the core BMW brand, the M division will also broaden its offerings for the next-gen X5. We’ve already discussed that the X5 M is likely to retain a V8 engine. It’ll likely be complemented by a fully electric variant. On the M Performance side, customers will reportedly be able to choose from three versions: X5 M60e, X5 M60, and iX5 M70 xDrive. That’s according to a company insider who frequently posts on the Bimmer Post forums with remarkable accuracy.
The plug-in hybrid is expected to arrive first, with production starting at the Spartanburg plant in December 2026. Technical specifications remain under wraps, but an inline-six engine paired with an electric motor seems the most plausible setup. After all, the similarly named M760e combines the B58 with an e-motor.
Logic suggests the gas-only X5 M60 will keep the V8 when it enters production in April 2027. We’re not ruling out the possibility that Europe will receive only the X5 M60e, leaving the eight-cylinder X5 M60 for non-EU markets with more lenient emissions rules. Ideally, customers in Europe will receive both.
BMW is also believed to be developing an electric M Performance version. Likely to be called the iX5 M70 xDrive, this third flavor of a not-quite-M model is rumored to enter production in September 2027. Its higher number suggests greater output than the other two, while remaining below the full-fat M variants. For those waiting on the true M models, the X5 M (G95) duo is slated for release in 2028.
Between the M Performance and M models, the next X5 is shaping up to be BMW M’s first model to offer gasoline, plug-in hybrid, and electric drivetrains. But before any of these arrive, the SUV will enter production in October 2026 as the lower-tier 40 xDrive and 40d xDrive versions only. An official launch could happen during the summer.
In the meantime, BMW has already kicked off the teaser campaign by previewing the fuel-cell hydrogen version. Co-developed with Toyota, the iX5 60H xDrive (name not confirmed) will go on sale in 2028.
Source: Bimmer Post
