05:45 16-06-2026
New BMW X5: From Diesel to Hydrogen iX5, BMW Bets on Choice
BMW splits the next X5 into five propulsion paths — gas, diesel, plug-in hybrid, electric iX5 and hydrogen iX5 — letting buyers choose by country and infrastructure.
BMW is preparing the next-generation X5 not as another push toward full electrification, but as a major technological branching point. A single body will get five different powertrains: gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, the fully electric iX5 and a hydrogen version.
The approach looks almost defiant against a market where some brands rush to declare full EV transitions while others quietly bring hybrids back. BMW is doing it differently: leaving the buyer a choice based on country, infrastructure and habits. The U.S. won’t get the diesel, but it will see the gasoline X5 40 xDrive, the X5 50e xDrive hybrid and the electric iX5 60 xDrive. Diesel still matters in Europe, while the hydrogen iX5 will be more of a rare technology showcase than a mass-market version.
According to Road & Track, the entry-level gasoline X5 40 xDrive will use a reworked 3.0-liter inline-six paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Output is around 400 hp and 580 Nm. The X5 50e xDrive plug-in hybrid is expected to deliver 490 hp, while the electric iX5 60 xDrive should produce roughly 578 hp with more than 400 miles (640 km) of range. The EV also gets an 800-volt architecture, which should noticeably speed up charging.
The hydrogen iX5 is a separate story. BMW is developing the fuel cells together with Toyota, and the hydrogen variant is expected to arrive after the main lineup, around 2028. Hydrogen’s biggest upside is quick refueling and no tailpipe emissions other than water. The downside hasn’t gone anywhere: infrastructure is thin, fuel is expensive, and the mass market has long since shifted to battery EVs.
For buyers, the new X5 is interesting beyond the engine list. Every version is set to share a similar body, more modern electronics and a common cabin built around BMW Panoramic Vision and the next iDrive. In other words, BMW isn’t splitting its audience into “old” and “new” — it’s putting everyone into the same X5, just with different hardware underneath.
The electric iX5 could make sense in large cities, but without a developed charging network and official support, the most realistic picks will remain the gasoline and hybrid versions. The hydrogen X5 will almost certainly be an exotic — technologically impressive, but practically niche.
BMW isn’t betting everything on a single answer. The new X5 shows that in the premium segment the near future will be neither purely electric nor purely combustion — it will be mixed.