BMW Built A 603-HP Plug-In Hybrid X5 The U.S. Won’t Get

The All-New X5 is Out

After months of spy shots and teasers, the fifth-generation BMW X5 has finally been revealed. Say what you want about the styling, this one is probably the most ambitious iteration of the popular midsize luxury crossover yet, and to say the brand made several bold decisions with the redesigned model would be an understatement.

From its radical Neue Klasse exterior with no door handles and the removal of the split tailgate to the 7 Series-esque interior, the 2027 X5 is a leap from the typically evolutionary redesigns of its predecessors. Not only that, it offers the broadest powertrain choices available with gas, diesel, plug-in hybrid, electric, and even hydrogen.

Meet the Hottest Version (For Now)

Not long after the reveal of the standard models, BMW released full details of the highest-performance derivative for now: the M60e. The little 'e' suffixing the name marks it as a plug-in hybrid model, and the figures it delivers are quite impressive.

Of course, it still uses a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, and it's mated to a single electric motor. It's the same arrangement as the 50e, but M60e makes far more power at 603 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. For comparison, its 'lesser' sibling produces 483 hp and 516 lb-ft, which are still good numbers but dwarfed by the M Performance model.

BMW appears to be conservative with the performance figures of the M60e. It's claimed it can do the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint in 4.5 seconds, which isn't that far off the 50e. Given its power advantage, a sub-4-second run to 60 mph is actually possible. As always, top speed is capped at 155 mph.

Not Coming to America

It's a neat addition to the lineup, but it'll remain a forbidden fruit for the U.S. market. The M60e is for Europe and the rest of the world. It mainly serves as a substitute for V8-powered models, save for the full-on X5 M, by offering eight-cylinder levels of performance while working around the continent's more stringent emissions regulations.

So, what will the U.S get instead? BMWBlog reckons America will get a mild-hybrid V8 instead of the uprated plug-in hybrid six-cylinder. It probably won't make the same amount of power as the electrified six, but it could make more than the outgoing model. Of course, we'll find out more once the full lineup of the U.S. version has been revealed.

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