The BMW X5 M Competition SUV and its rakish BMW X6 M Competition sibling will arrive with a mid-life refresh next month, boosting their starting price to more than £123,000.
The high-riding pair will also be the first BMW M-tuned cars to be fitted with a hybrid-assisted powertrain: a crankshaft-mounted electric motor, powered by a 48V battery.
This mild-hybrid set-up supplements their predecessors’ upgraded 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 – on its own still delivering 616bhp and 553lb ft – with an extra 12bhp and 147lb ft when called upon.
The new motor has been brought in to boost mid-range oomph. Both cars now shift from 50-75mph in 3.2sec in fourth gear. Top speed is limited to 155mph, but can be raised to 180mph as part of the optional M Driver’s Package.
Despite the motor, standing acceleration is 0.1sec slower than the X5 M Competition and X6 M Competition they replace, with both cars hitting 62mph in 3.9sec.
This updated power is again sent through BMW’s M Steptronic eight-speed gearbox to all four wheels, although both have a rear bias. They also continue to get an Active M differential at the rear and Adaptive M suspension, now with reworked dampers, as standard.
