The next BMW X5 has been effectively unmasked a day before its official debut, and the surprise is not subtle. The new G65 generation appears to borrow heavily from BMW’s Neue Klasse playbook, while the electric iX5 version shown in the leak looks far removed from the familiar X5 shape people know.
That matters because BMW is not just refreshing a successful SUV here; it is using one of its most important nameplates to sell a new design language. The company has already previewed the smaller iX3 in the same style, so the X5 leak feels less like a one-off and more like BMW drawing a line under its old front-end design era.
BMW X5 G65 adopts the Neue Klasse look
The leaked images show a much cleaner face, with a slim grille, narrow LED headlights, and X-shaped daytime running lights. The front bumper also echoes the new 5 Series, which gives the SUV a more technical, less ornamental look than the current model.
There is also a clear attempt to make the X5 feel more sculpted and more futuristic at the same time. The wheel-arch trim is more pronounced, and the door handles are shaped like small ”wings” positioned where the glass meets the metal of the door. That kind of detail is the sort of thing designers love and owners notice exactly once, usually when they are trying to wash the car.
The leaked iX5 looks more radical than the petrol model
The badge on the tailgate suggests the car in the photos is the fully electric iX5 rather than a gasoline X5. BMW has already confirmed some hardware for the iX5 60 xDrive: two electric motors with a combined output of 578 hp, plus a 141 kWh battery for Europe and a 144 kWh battery for the US.
- Power: 578 hp
- Drivetrain: two electric motors
- Battery: 141 kWh in Europe, 144 kWh in the US
BMW says the new X5 will be offered with many powertrains, which is corporate-speak for ”we want every buyer covered.” That is sensible: premium SUVs are still bought in enormous numbers because customers want one badge, one shape, and several ways to justify it at the dealer.
The cabin gets a passenger display for the first time
Inside, the X5 keeps the broad Neue Klasse dashboard layout, but adds a separate screen in front of the front passenger for the first time on this platform. The front panel has also been redesigned, which should make the cabin feel newer even if the basic architecture is familiar.
One more detail points to BMW’s broader strategy: the stretched G65 version aimed mainly at China is also said to be sold outside the country. If that holds true, BMW is turning the X5 into a global test bed for its next design language, not just a regional special. The real question is whether buyers see this as bold progress or an SUV that has traded just enough BMW tradition to spark debate tomorrow and sales later.