Around 20 years ago, BMW unveiled a new niche in its lineup that combined the brand’s Sheer Driving Pleasure mantra with the versatility of a rather unlikely type of vehicle—an SUV. Or as BMW called, it, the Sport Activity Vehicle (SAV). Sure, BMW purists were up in arms. Yet as history would tell us, the brand got the last laugh as the BMW X5 went on to become one of its most popular models to date.
After being launched globally sometime last year, the fourth-generation X5 makes its way to the country via a launch event hosted by SMC Asia Car Distributors Corporation. The official BMW Philippine distributor offers just one variant in the local landscape—the X5 xDrive 30d xLine
For P5,990,000, you get a luxurious and comfortable cabin with all the niceties to be expected from a premium German offering. Stuff like Ambient Lighting, Vermasca leather, and of course, the latest version of the patented iDrive vehicle interface. With a large 12.3-inch display, one can control various vehicle, entertainment, and connectivity functions using either the steering-wheel controls, the iDrive controller, touchscreen, voice commands, or gesture control
