BMW gives the X5 and X6 a FACELIFT – and more range for the X5 PHEV too

The BMW X5 and BMW X6 are facelifted with revised interior and exterior, additional tech and more range for the X5 PHEV.

It’s just a few days since Mercedes revealed a titivate for the GLE and GLE Coupe, and now we get an update and refresh for the Mercedes’ main competitor with the reveal of the updated BMW X5 and X6 including a jump in range for the X5 PHEV, as we predicted a couple of months ago.

The cosmetic tweaks include a new grille and front bumper and standard M Sport Package for the X6, with the interior looking like the X7 with a new digital panel comprising 12.3″ digital instrument panel and 14.9″ infotainment running BMW’s latest 8.0 iDrive OS.

Under the skin, BMW has revised the powertrain choices for petrol, diesel and PHEV options all with an eight-speed auto ‘box and xDrive four-wheel drive as standard, with six-pot petrols and diesels and the V8 petrol all getting a 48v battery for a few extra horses.

BMW has also replaced the old X5 M50 xDrive and X6 M50 xDrive models with new M60 models, although still with the same 4.4-litre V8 with 523bhp, and the xDrive45e becomes the X5 xDrive50e which now comes with 490bhp, a 25.7kWh battery and a claimed EV range of up to 68 miles.

The new BMW X5 and X6 are now on sale in the UK with prices starting at £66,230 for the X5 and £72,430 for the X6.