Over the past few decades, the X5 is BMW’s best seller. The mid-sized SUV blends sportiness and practicality, it also has a fuel tank with enough capacity to support over 600 miles of range for some reason. In 2024, the vehicle celebrated 25-years on the market, now in 2026 it seems to be looking into the future. An Autonocion photographer recently spotted a prototype of BMW’s upcoming X5 in Europe, and managed to snag the following photos.
Despite the camouflage, it’s easy to see the difference between the new X5 and its predecessor. The large kidney grille BMW has attached to the front of its vehicles in recent years has its share of detractors. Those people will be pleased to know the old grille has been ditched in favor of a sleeker, toned down, version seemingly inspired by BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse series of EVs.
BMW’s biggest changes are seemingly aesthetic and centered on the vehicle’s nose. The headlights merge with the new grille to form a kind of futuristic slit. The front also seems to be a lot flatter, with a far smaller air intake. It’s not yet known how this will affect performance, especially on the M variant. Not a lot is expected to change under the hood of the upcoming X5, with 2027 giving the model a facelift and keeping specs roughly the same.
Where we could see a big difference is inside the vehicle. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the new X5 include BMW’s updated iDrive X system and panoramic screen. The new system is set to debut in the iX3, but could be rolled out in some form through the rest of the company’s SUVs. The AI-based digital assistant BMW is developing in conjunction with Amazon may also crop up inside the new X5.
What else is on the horizon for BMW?
In addition to the X5, BMW has some fairly big plans over the next couple of years. The company recently confirmed over 30 new vehicles are in the pipeline, though several of those are variants of a particular type of vehicle. Plans do include several new “M” cars, and not everything is EV-based.
Despite BMW’s status as one of the more electric-forward manufacturers, the company is going to continue making vehicles powered by inline-six and V8 engines. So EV-lovers get a variety of Neue Klasse vehicles, while ICE-enthusiasts still have access to high performance, non-electric vehicles. Those future plans include a V8-powered M5, though plans for a proper “Electric M” are still on the horizon.
BMW’s M-Division CEO Frank van Meel did confirm the stick shift’s days are numbered though, which may upset some enthusiasts. It makes sense, both from an engineering perspective and with an analysis of BMW’s trajectory over the past few years. The Mini Cooper has been a bit of a canary down the mineshaft for BMW, and it was always brilliant with a manual gearbox. BMW even offered Mini-focused classes at its racing school to teach people how to drive stick. The Cooper ditched its manual configuration a few years ago, it’s automatic or electric-only now. And the rest of the Bavarian manufacturer’s output is going the same way.
April is also set to be a busy month for BMW, with the new i3 electric sedan and the 2027 7-series both expected to be announced. If all goes to plan, the hotly anticipated iX3 electric SUV should officially launch this summer. So while it may be a bit doom and gloom at some manufacturers lately, BMW seemingly has an exciting few years ahead.
