A new BMW X5 arrives in two souls, one humming on electricity and one drinking gasoline, and the reviewers who have sat behind its wheels already sense that the electric sibling changes how the older form is weighed. The gas model is judged no longer alone but in the shadow of its own successor-in-spirit, a quiet reordering of a familiar nameplate. Praise for how it drives sits beside doubt about how it looks, and whether a crowd of ordinary buyers will embrace its unusual face remains a question the first drives cannot yet answer.
Hands-On: BMW's Electric iX5 Makes the Gas X5 a Harder Sell
The gas X5 is now judged against its electric sibling, and comes out second.
Mark
So what's the actual news here? It reads like a pile of headlines.
Mimi
It is a pile of headlines, but they agree on something. The electric iX5 is being treated as the stronger version of the new X5, and InsideEVs says it makes the gas model a tough sell.
Mark
Why does that matter for BMW specifically?
Mimi
Because BMW is selling both. It isn't replacing the gas X5, so the two cars end up competing in the same showroom.
Luke
Worth noting, though, that this is first-drive coverage. A few hours behind the wheel isn't ownership.
Mark
And the design criticism? Car and Driver says it may be too weird.
Mimi
That's the counterweight. The car drives well, but the styling might not suit every buyer.
Luke
We don't know what 'weird' refers to here. The material gives us the verdict, not the specifics, so I wouldn't guess at which design choices are the problem.
Mark
Do we know prices or range?
Luke
Not from this. No pricing, range, or sales figures appear, so 'tough sell' is a reviewer's judgment, not a market result.
Mimi
Right, and the market result is the thing to watch. Sales will say whether the reviewers were right.
El Pulso
- An InsideEVs reviewer's verdict that the electric iX5 makes the gas X5 a tough sell has set the tone for the coverage.
- BMW is selling both electric and gas versions of the same SUV, forcing a direct comparison inside one showroom.
- Car and Driver praises how the 2027 X5 drives while warning its styling may be too unconventional for mainstream buyers.
- MotorTrend frames the iX5 as a taste of tomorrow, while the gas model struggles to define its own case.
- Sales figures for the electric versus gas mix will soon reveal whether reviewers' concerns about the design and the powertrain choice matter to buyers.
A new BMW X5 arrives in two souls, one humming on electricity and one drinking gasoline, and the reviewers who have sat behind its wheels already sense that the electric sibling changes how the older form is weighed. The gas model is judged no longer alone but in the shadow of its own successor-in-spirit, a quiet reordering of a familiar nameplate. Praise for how it drives sits beside doubt about how it looks, and whether a crowd of ordinary buyers will embrace its unusual face remains a question the first drives cannot yet answer.
Four automotive outlets published first impressions of BMW's 2027 X5 lineup within a few days, and the electric iX5 sits at the center of nearly all of them. InsideEVs stated it most bluntly: its writer drove the electric model and concluded that it makes the gas version a tough sell.
BMW offers the new X5 in both electric and gas forms, and the coverage treats the two as a direct comparison. Ars Technica described BMW going both ways, selling one SUV with two kinds of power. The driving verdict is warm, with Car and Driver saying the 2027 X5 drives great, while the same outlet warns that the styling may be too weird for some buyers.
The conventional X5 is now judged against its electric sibling, and according to the InsideEVs reviewer, it comes out second. These are first drives from a handful of publications, so pricing, range, power, and sales expectations remain unknown. The market will answer the question, and if the styling proves as polarizing as warned, that may matter more than the powertrain.
The headlines tell the story before the details do. In the span of a few days, four automotive outlets published first impressions of BMW's 2027 X5 lineup, and the electric iX5 sits at the center of nearly all of them. InsideEVs put it most bluntly: its writer drove the electric BMW X5 and concluded that it makes the gas version a tough sell.
That is the clearest line in a set of reviews that otherwise point in slightly different directions. BMW is offering the new X5 in both electric and gas forms, and the coverage treats the two as a direct comparison inside the same showroom. Ars Technica framed it as BMW going both ways, selling one SUV with two kinds of power rather than choosing a side.
The verdict on how the car drives is warm. Car and Driver's headline says the 2027 X5 drives great, which is a notable thing to say about a vehicle in the same sentence as a caveat. MotorTrend, for its part, titled its piece around the iX5 offering a taste of tomorrow, today, a phrase that positions the electric model as the more forward-looking of the pair.
The caveat is design. Car and Driver says the X5 may be too weird for some buyers. Even with praise for the driving experience, the reviewer suggests the styling is unconventional enough that it could put off the mainstream shoppers a car like the X5 has traditionally attracted. The reporting available here does not spell out which design elements prompted that reaction, so the specifics remain with the full reviews.
What the collection of coverage does establish is a shift in how the gas model is being judged. The conventional X5 is no longer assessed only on its own merits but against its electric sibling, and according to the InsideEVs reviewer, it comes out second. That is a harder position for a gas SUV to be in when the electric version is built on the same nameplate and sold by the same brand.
There are limits to what can be said from these headlines alone. They do not give pricing, range figures, power output, or sales expectations, and the reviews appear to be first drives rather than long-term tests. The conclusions reflect initial impressions from limited time behind the wheel, and they come from a handful of publications whose views may not match what buyers decide.
That is where the story points next. BMW has chosen to hedge by offering both powertrains, which means the market will answer the question the reviewers are raising. If the iX5 draws buyers away from the gas X5, as InsideEVs suggests it should, BMW's sales mix will show it. If the styling proves as polarizing as Car and Driver warns, that may matter more than the powertrain.
Citas Notables
The electric BMW X5 makes the gas version a tough sell.— InsideEVs reviewer, paraphrased
The 2027 X5 drives great but may be too weird for some.— Car and Driver, paraphrased
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