BMW X5 xDrive40d Sport LCI 2010 review

It's important to make regular returns and re-runs with benchmark cars in Australian showrooms. So here we are with the 2010 update of the BMW X5, the car that's been top of the prestige SUV pack since it first landed in Australia.

The latest tweaks are a mid-life overhaul, just like the VEII Commodore, and, just like the Holden hero, BMW has concentrated on efficiency with the remake of the X5. It's also focussed on keeping an edge over everything from the Audi Q5 to the Benz ML - and perhaps even the giant ML - the all-new Porsche Cayenne and the massively improved Range Rover Sport.

Changes to the X5 include three new models - xDrive35i, X5 xDrive40d and flagship X5 xDrive50i - improved engines with more power torque, better fuel economy and more emphasis on the Sport package which has been popular with so many X5 buyers.

Explore the 2010 BMW X Models range

• BMW X5 2010 review: first drive
• BMW X5 2010 review
• BMW X5 xDrive40d Sport LCI 2010 review
• BMW X5 M 2010 review
• BMW X5 M 2010 review: snapshot

"We have given the car the highest standard specification in the segment. Combined with its on-road performance, and a range of features that are not offered by our competitors, the BMW X5 looks set to continue its success story in Australia,” says the boss of BMW Australia, Stavros Yallouridis.

VALUE

The starting price of $92,100 looks pretty good, but that's for the basic 3-litre diesel and you can easily run the X5 up to $133,400 - bottom line for the new 50i Sport - or even more for the M-built model. And BMW options are always there to entice, with everything from Sport packs to third-row seats, all sorts of light choices, leather and wood, and on and on and on.

Maximising value in any BMW is about picking the right model and staying as close as possible to the standard specification, which is usually pretty good these days.

Looking at some of its rivals, and concentrating on the mid-range 40d which looks to be the potential best-seller, the BMW lines up well against revised Q7s from Audi, although Benz starts a fair bit cheaper at $84,760 for a 3-litre ML.

TECHNOLOGY

This time around the X5 improvements are focussed on the engines. It's possible to fill an entire Carsguide liftout with the detail, so lets concentrate on the 40d M Sport which arrives for testing. Its diesel engine is a significant step up from the previous 35d, with the inline six taking on twin-turbo and common-rail injection technology.

BMW says output is up by 15 kiloWatts and 20 Newton-metres, the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint time is down to 6.6 seconds and fuel economy is 10 per cent better than the outgoing 35d at 7.5 litres/100km.

The all-wheel drive system is unchanged but X5s move up to BMW's latest eight-speed automatic gearbox with speed-tuned Servotronic steering as standard.

DESIGN

The '10 model is only a tweak, which means the nose has the greatest change. There are larger side intakes, more use of body-coloured paint, re-positioned foglamps and matt-silver body protection. The tail lamps are also new, with an L shape.

The 40d comes with a  standard Sports package including a leather-wrapped wheel, a special anthracite roof liner, as well as stuff like bi-Xenon lamps, Bluetooth, a sunroof, leather seats and more.

SAFETY

A lot of SUVs feel like trucks but one of the safety advantages in the X5 - from day one - is its carlike driving feel. There is the usual suite of front and side airbags, ABS with brakeforce distribution, top-class ESP stability control and more.

The 40d also comes standard with a rear-view camera, which should be compulsory now on every SUV, automatic high-beam cut, and the chance to add lane departure warning for $1400, adaptive headlights at $1000 and the latest active cruise control with Stop&Start for a hefty $4700.

DRIVING - Paul Gover

The X5 has always been one of my favourite drives the latest model continues the appeal, mostly because of the way it drives but also because the 40d - even with a bottom line in the test car of $149,220 - has so much nice stuff.

It's hard not to enjoy well-shaped leather seats, the sunroof, and even the lane-departure and rear-camera systems.

The latest X5 seems bigger than I remember, and a bit beefier too, but the latest turbodiesel has more than enough muscle for the job. It does not feel as sweet as some of BMW's earlier turbodiesels, perhaps because of the latest high-pressure fuel injection, and there sounds to be more rattling at start-up. But the only other thing I can criticise is the lack of gearchange paddles on the steering wheel.

The eight-speed auto is as wonderful as I remember from other BMWs and both responsive and efficient.

The latest X5 is seriously quick, is great for family work, yet drives more like a car than a truck. If BMW can keep this up with the new X3 - which is actually similar in size to the original X5 - instead of straying into the middle of the X1 then it will be seriously tough to toss in the luxury SUV class.

SHE SAYS - Alison Ward

It's been so long since I've driven an X5 that I don't notice most of the changes. The car still drives well and has heaps of space, and I like little things like the pull-up sunshades to cover Mr Man in the back seat. It's a lot nicer in the X5 than the X1, which I still don't really understand.

The performance is pretty good for something this size, which even has an optional fold-out third-row seat in the car we're driving. It's not going to be any good for adults but should be fine if there are extra bubs around.

I've always liked the X5 but I've also been spoiled recently by the Mercedes GL. It's bigger, more cushy and, for me, a nicer drive. If I already owned an X5 I can see it would be worth upgrading, and there are lots of people who prefer its industrial-style design, but I've been won over by the GL despite the extra cost.

VERDICT: Hidden changes and a few cosmetic tweaks are all worthwhile.