The redesigned 2027 BMW X5 has received an early road test, and it sounds like an impressive driver’s SUV. Car and Driver praises its quiet, comfortable ride and strong six-cylinder powertrain. The new design adds a panoramic display spanning the base of the windshield, a large center screen, and handleless electronic door latches. The six-cylinder model makes 394 horsepower, with an integrated electric motor adding torque to the system.
For someone shopping for a genuinely large, fast, luxurious family SUV, one sentence in the review matters more than the display: BMW has dropped the optional third row. The X5 is now a five-seater. That makes it a poor substitute for an X7 with the desired captain’s chairs and real rear seating, regardless of how attractive the redesign looks.
The reviewer also notes compromises: physical buttons have been removed for some routine adjustments, and the new windshield-spanning display can feel visually busy. The new X5 starts around $71,250 in rear-drive form or $73,550 with all-wheel drive, but that is not a comparable configuration to a heavily equipped X7 M60i. BMW plans additional V-8, hybrid, electric and hydrogen versions.
There is a broader buying lesson here. Automakers can make the smaller SUV so luxurious that its interior seems competitive with the flagship, but packaging still decides whether it works for the family. A 30-minute test drive cannot create missing third-row seats. When comparing alternatives, check usable second- and third-row dimensions and the exact seating configuration before performance numbers.
What to do: remove the new X5 from the large three-row shortlist, keep the X7 in the comparison, and use the Car and Driver review as a quick reference for which new BMW interface features might migrate to future X7 models. If evaluating the electric iX5, remember it is also a five-seat proposition.