Last month, BMW announced the upcoming 2019 X5 SUV is coming with an optional V8 good for 462 horsepower and an all-new Off-Road Package but failed to disclose the price. However, this week BMW officially announced the next generation X5 will come with a base price of $60,700, nearly $10,000 under what the current Mercedes GLS costs.
While the base price of the X5 xDrive40i might be a hair over the $60,000 mark, it’s the optional add-ons that have us really excited for the 2019 X5. The next-tier X5 xDrive50i starts $75,750, so hopefully, you can save a few thousand dollars, go for the X5 xDrive40i, tick the Off-Road Package option and get the two-axle air suspension, skid plates, a locking rear differential and multiple driving modes tailored for sand, rock, gravel or snow. And as far as German SUVs are concerned, it’s one of the most sensible upgrades to appear on option sheets in a long time (G-Wagen excluded, for obvious reasons).
It’s not much but at least BMW understands that turning SUVs into track weapons doesn’t make any sense. Lowered, stiff suspensions and low-profile tires negate the natural characteristic and capabilities of an SUV. Raised suspension, chunkier tires and locking differentials? Now that’s more like it. Even with the Off-Road Package equipped you won’t be going wheel to wheel with Ford F-150 Raptors, but at least you can think about throwing a roof rack on the top and a tow hitch on the back, load it up with gear set out for a weekend in the mountains. The 2019 BMW X5 hits showrooms on November 10 of this year, just in time for winter and a little cold-weather wheelin’.
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