By Jon Quirk
22 February 2008
BMW’s dynamic drive technology has been kicking the proverbial this year. It’s amazing to think that such technology has made cars like the big, brutal 630i coupe emit just 219g/km of carbon, and regardless of cost, has even been fitted to the entire range including Mini.
But now BMW is turning its attention to the X5 4x4, with a newer, greener vision to be called Vision Efficient Dynamics. With this technology, the BMW X5 will be able to perform 45.3mpg on the combined run and produce just 172g/km of CO2 - that’s 10mpg more and a massive 42g/km less than the current cleanest X5.
The Vision Efficient Dynamics X5 retains BMW’s existing energy-saving gadgets like stop-start and fuel saving technologies, but it also gets an aerodynamic package and 19in wheels that create less drag. Most importantly, it benefits from an electric motor, similar say, (but used more efficiently) to the Lexus RX400h. Lithium ion batteries in the boot store any zero emissions electricity created from when the car is either braking or coasting off the throttle. And when this power is supplemented by a set of roof-mounted solar panels, it can run the car’s air conditioning units as well as pre-heat the diesel fuel before the car is started – apparently, cold engines produce the most noxious emissions.
But whereas Lexus uses a 3.5-litre V6 petrol to power the RX400h, BMW is using the same compact, twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel that features so brilliantly in the 123d. It produces 201bhp and 295lb ft of torque and when coupled to a new eight-speed gearbox, will propel this X5 to 62mph in 8.9secs. Not bad for a clean, green 4x4.
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