X5 MARKS THE SPOT
“Bloody hell, that Bimmer is good,” enthused Tim van Duyl, after stepping out from behind the wheel of the BMW X5 xDrive 30d, fresh from a 600km towing stint. Days earlier we’d been debating the towing credentials of the German luxury SUV, specifically whether it had the goods to mix it with the likes of LandCruiser, Patrol and others. We agreed that, while it would probably drive better than just about anything else on the market, it may not have the requisite grunt and towing stability to handle mid- to heavy-duty haulage. Now, having returned from a two-day jaunt towing a 21-footer to Victoria’s Otways and back, we had the answer.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
The BMW X5 is one of Australia’s most popular large-premium SUVs, notching up just under 3000 sales as at the end of November 2021, meaning it’s bettered only in its category by the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class wagon. With a recommended retail price of $121,900, this X5 xDrive 30d model sits just above the entry level xDrive 25d ($104,900), the latter packing a smaller 2L turbodiesel engine versus the 30d’s 3L six-cylinder. Between them the xDrive 25d and 30d make up the entirety of the diesel offering in the
