The All New 2007 BMW X5 SUV - The Ultimate Driving Experience

The BMW X5 is a luxury SUV manufactured by BMW since 1999. It is a four wheel drive vehicle and has straight 6 and V8 engines. The design of the BMW X5 was done by Chris Bangle, who created sketches of the model in his Designworks studio in the United States. BMW engineers combined Range Rover Technologies to create the ultimate SUV driving experience. The large BMW has got great hill decent control and many of its components (electronics & parts) were taken directly from the E39 5 Series bin in order to cut down on costs. The X5 has a number of features that are worth noting:

The German Car manufacturer realised that most of the SUV buyers do not actually drive off-road and used this information to created a 4x4 that is designed for on-road performance & handling. The X5 has very short overhangs, compact (the first was 4 and a half inches shorter than the 5 series sedan of that time). It has a car-based chassis that provides the X5 with its low stance and brilliant on-road performance. The original vehicle only sat 5 people and the new 2007 X5 model was designed with an optional third-row seat which allows the X5 to accommodate 7 people. The new model is bigger, has more cargo capacity and appeals to most people here in South Africa.

The redesigned 2007 X5 is available in 2 models : the six-cylinder X5 3.0si & the V8 X5 4.8i. At  a quick glance you won't be able to notice the difference between the old X5 and the new - the ducktail tailgate still remains the same, as well as the tailpipes from the rear bumper cover. However on close inspection of the SUV you will notice that there is a sharp creases in the X5's sheet metal that break the flow of its curved panels, giving the new X5 a more aerodynamic shape. The all the new X5 is 7.4 inches longer, with 4.5 inches of that increase going to the wheelbase.

If there was a flaw in the original X5's driving dynamics, it was the luxury SUV's stiff ride quality. BMW addressed that issue on the second-gen X5 by fitting a new double-wishbone front suspension, the first non-strut type BMW front suspension since 1961. The smooth ride is particularly impressive given that all X5s now wear run-flat tires.