2023-10-04 03:56:52
Auto123 tests the new 2024 BMW X5M on the track.
Vancouver, BC – Continuity in transformation, we know that at BMW. The Bavarian brand got its start as a manufacturer of roadsters and sports cars, later moving into performance sedans and, eventually, performance SUVs. Today, we are moving to electric mobility.
Throughout this evolution, the company has retained this spirit of performance in most of its range. Well, we can’t praise the acceleration and handling capabilities of the (now defunct) i3 EV, but you don’t have to look far in a BMW dealership to find something fast and fun. amusing.
The X5M Competition isn’t so much fast and fun as it is manic.
Here are the facts and figures: The SUV is equipped with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 (each turbo has two scrolls) and a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with in-box starter/generator of gears, resulting in 147 lb-ft of torque, all combining to produce 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Then yes. Maniac. The 8-speed automatic transmission with electronic limited-slip and all-wheel drive were all tuned by M, and you get sports steering and M adaptive dampers at all four corners.
Photo : D.Heyman
The new BMW X5M 2024
Design du BMW X5M Competition 2024
The model’s styling has been updated for 2024 – it’s an “LCI”, that is, a mid-cycle refresh in BMW-speak. The front fascia is more aggressive, with a blacked-out grille that works very well, new rims and improved aerodynamics.
The SUV really looks great, especially in Isle of Man Green Metallic with black rims (21-inch front and 22-inch rear).
Although this was a track test, what matters to most buyers is that the aerodynamic changes translate into reduced fuel consumption. But hey, we definitely noticed a reduction in lift in the long, fast curves and elevation changes at Area 27 Motorsports Park, where we put the X5M and other BMWs to the test.
Photo : D.Heyman
The interior of BMW X5M 2024
Interior of the 2024 BMW X5M Competition
Inside, the refresh results in a curved screen with new graphics and the latest iDrive system, now in its eighth generation and faster than ever with all kinds of online features, updates live and so on. For the rest, we find M sports seats with illuminated M logos on the headrests, premium leather with diamond inserts, a Bowers and Wilkins audio system that sounds (and looks) magnificent, plenty of carbon fiber and the thick steering wheel with two red “M” buttons to activate your personalized driving settings.
It’s also a fantastic place to spend time. No matter how good it has become, the X5M will still be a very good vehicle for traveling long distances.
Photo : D.Heyman
BMW X5M 2024 vert
Driving the 2024 BMW X5M Competition – on the track
Comfort-oriented settings quickly gave way to sport settings for the steering, brakes, suspension and powertrain.
The Area 27 Tour is nestled among the beautiful rolling vineyards of the Okanagan Valley in central British Columbia. The course is designed to accommodate this land, which means plenty of elevation changes and blind crests that challenge both driver and car. It’s in these conditions that you can really see what a car can do. Elevation changes can disrupt a car by spinning it in all directions, destabilizing a chassis that isn’t up to par.
I wasn’t too worried regarding this with the X5M. In addition to the new elements mentioned above, the chassis has been reinforced to improve handling and body control. You feel it as soon as you set off.
Unsurprisingly, the available power hits like a sledgehammer, but the shock absorbers are tuned to minimize sag under acceleration, allowing the large 295cc Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires to crash nicely into the surface. of the circuit and propel you into the first straight line. You’ll grip the large, responsive carbon shift paddles in a desperate attempt to keep up, reaching 0-100km/h in around 3.7 seconds, accompanied by a howl worthy of a GT racer coming from the four exhaust outlets. Whoever said a turbocharged engine would never sound right hasn’t driven a car like this.
Photo : D.Heyman
BMW X5M 2024 wheel
At this speed, we arrive quite quickly at the end of this first straight of Area 27 with a very tight right turn awaiting us. This part of the track is done quickly, but as far as altitude changes go, it’s one of the quieter sections of the circuit, which allows you to better judge what the vehicle around you is doing.
Cornering is done in a sporty manner and although, as in many other BMWs (and as in modern sports cars and sedans in general), I would have liked to have a little more feeling in the big steering wheel, we learns very quickly to trust the responsiveness of the front axle.
What I didn’t expect, however, is that you very quickly feel the curb weight of this large SUV of around 5,500 pounds, as soon as you start to throw it into the turns. This feeling is amplified as you approach the most difficult corners of the circuit. It’s not like it will make you understeer into oblivion, but I had driven the M8 coupe just before, and I expected the X5M to feel more like a slightly more high profile of this car.
Photo : D.Heyman
BMW X5M 2024 logo
That said, the X5M’s brakes are phenomenal, both in feel and stopping power, and the all-wheel drive lets you control things with the throttle if you feel the need. On the track, of course, this is not optional, it is a necessity.
The X5M, then, is really, really fast. We can criticize its attitude in the corners of the circuit, but let’s be honest: even if BMW would have us believe that X5M Competition owners take their SUV to the circuit, that’s not really what it was designed for.
At its core, the a Porsche Cayenne GT. We agree that the 1% of X5M owners who do circuits might have been better off buying something more focused on the track, which they might tow there with their X5M in order to satisfy their needs. But the majority will like the X5M for its looks, its power, its interior equipment and its finish.
Points forts
Unfailing power Very good looks Interior design, finish and first-class equipment Good value for money
Photo : D.Heyman
Preview of the new 2024 BMW X5M
The competitors of the BMW X5M Competition 2024
Audi RS Q8
Cadillac Escalade V-Series
Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 S
Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT
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