BMW X5 vs Mercedes-Benz Eqe300

What's the difference?

The BMW X5 is a leading contender in the ‘Over $70K Large SUV’ division of Australia’s new car market, which is a hotly-contested segment boasting 15 marques and 25 models.

The X5 has hit an enduring sweet spot with Aussie buyers in terms of size, performance and price. BMW prefers to call it a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) as distinct from its Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) rivals.

Clearly, any word association with a utility is something BMW Group Australia wants to avoid after recently launching its latest X5 range, which brings numerous enhancements including design revisions, increased standard equipment, refreshed powertrains and more.

We were entrusted with the digital ‘Comfort Access’ key to one of the latest X5s, to understand from a family car perspective why this model range enjoys such enduring popularity with prestige SUV (sorry, SAV) buyers.

The EQE53 SUV is Mercedes-AMG's first fully-electric SUV.

That means it doesn't have a thundering V8 like a lot of its petrol-powered AMG siblings, but what it lacks in ear-splitting noise it makes up for in colossal but quietly delivered shove.

Which, when you have a sleeping child in the back, is exactly what you might need, because this after all is a family review and we're testing how good this silent beast of an SUV is when it comes to family duties.