2024 BMW X5 and X6 Debut With Light Hybrid Engine and 483 HP PHEV

The refreshed 2024 BMW X5 and X6 boast minor changes to their exterior styling, but thorough updates to their powertrain and technology. Both models made their public debut at the Amelia Concours d’Elegance in March and went into production in April at the automaker’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Machine Update

The X5 sDrive40i, xDrive40i and X6 xDrive40i get BMW’s next-generation 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six. The power plant gets the help of a 48-volt mild hybrid with an electric motor that produces 12 horsepower (9 kilowatts) and 147 pound-feet (199 Newton-meters). Total system output is now 375 hp (280 kW) and 383 lb-ft (519 Nm). For comparison, the previous six-cylinder application in this model produced 335 hp (250 kW) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm).

BMW estimates the 2024 X5 and X6 xDrive40i can accelerate to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in 5.2 seconds. That figure was 5.3 seconds before the refresh.

The X5 and X6 M60i xDrive keep the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, but now have a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Powerplant output is still 523 hp (390 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm). Both models reach 60 mph in 4.2 seconds.

The X5 xDrive50e PHEV replaces the previous xDrive45e. Total system output of the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six and electric motor is now 483 hp (360 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm), from 389 hp (290 kW) and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm). Its updated electric motor typically produces 194 hp (145 kW) and 280 lb-ft (380 Nm), but can temporarily produce 331 lb-ft (449 Nm). This model can reach 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, compared to the previous 5.3 seconds.

BMW is also giving the xDrive50e a battery with a net capacity of 25.7 kilowatt-hours to replace the previous 17.1 kWh unit. Plus, the unit can now charge AC up to 7.4 kW. This arrangement offers an electric power range of approximately 40 miles (64 kilometers).

All three engines are equipped with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The transmission now has an electric oil pump and torque damper that make for smoother gear shifts, according to the automaker. With the M Sport package available, there’s a Sprint setting that automatically switches to the lowest usable gear, puts the powertrain in its sportiest mode, and gets a full electric boost from the mild hybrid system.

New look

The refreshed X5 and X6 look slightly different from their predecessors. BMW notes that the front light line is 35 millimeters narrower. The sculptural surfaces now abut the renal grilles, and they have revised lower fascia. The X5 is available with an optional lighting grille. The X6 now comes standard with the M Sport package which has an octagon on the lower fascia. The V8-powered M60i xDrive model has quad exhaust pipes.

Buyers have several new colors to choose from. Blue Ridge Mountain metallic, Brooklyn Gray metallic, Skyscraper Gray metallic, and Frozen Pure Gray metallic combine in the palette. The X5 M60i xDrive is available in Marina Bay metallic blue, and the X6 M60i xDrive is offered in Isle of Man Green metallic.

There are more significant changes in the X5 and X6 refreshes. The display is now in a single curved glass display consisting of a 12.3-inch information screen and a 14.9-inch diagonal instrument monitor. An ambient light bar with 15 colors to choose from adds even more lighting to the cabin.

Fresh Technology

In terms of driving assistance, Highway Assistant joins the optional Driving Assistance Professional Package. This system allows the driver to take their hands off the wheel on limited access highways at speeds up to 85 mph (137 kph). Assisted View mode on the instrument cluster shows vehicles detected by the camera and sensors in the current and adjacent lanes.

Professional Parking Assistant records vehicles traveling up to 656 feet (200 meters) and can reproduce them in reverse. This means drivers can have a model come to them by controlling it from the My BMW App on a smartphone.

The table below shows the prices for the 2024 X5 and X6 lineup.