BMW has officially introduced the new G18 X5 xDrive30Li and xDrive40Li in China, both of which will be produced by the BMW Brilliance Automotive joint venture at the upgraded Dadong plant in Shenyang from April 2022.
The G18 is essentially the long wheelbase version of the existing G05 X5 and is targeted at customers who want a more spacious rear passenger compartment. Such vehicles are lucrative for carmakers in China, as it’s not just BMW that offers them, but also rivals like Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
According to BMW, the G18’s wheelbase has been extended by 130 mm compared to the regular G05, with the extra length used to enhance seating comfort and legroom for second-row passengers. This results in longer rear doors, but otherwise, the X5 LWB (Long Wheelbase) retains many of the standard wheelbase model’s cues.
Besides the increased wheelbase, the X5 LWB has an overall length of 5,060 mm (+138 mm), width of 2,004 mm (unchanged) and height of 1,779 mm (+34 mm). Only the G07 X7 is larger, so the new offering does its job by slotting into a specific niche.
The new models come with comfort seats and four degrees of extra backrest tilt for the rear seats as standard. This is joined by a panoramic glass roof, an ambient lighting system, an M Aerodynamics package, electroplated finish for selected controls, speakers with perforated metal covers and a newly design smartphone tray with inductive charging.
As for the mechanical bits, electronically controlled dampers come as standard and – optionally on the X5 xDrive40Li – two-axle air suspension with automatic self-levelling. An eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission and xDrive all-wheel drive system are mated to a B48 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the X5 xDrive30Li, and B58 3.0 litre turbo-six in the X5 xDrive40Li.
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Should have make it a 5+2…