A BMW Vision Future Luxury concept car is displayed at Auto China 2014 in Beijing
A BMW Vision Future Luxury concept car is displayed at Auto China 2014 in BeijingReuters

German luxury car maker BMW on Thursday launched the third generation X5 SUV in India.

The new avatar of X5 is priced at ₹70.9 lakh (ex-showroom, India) and packs a slew of changes inside as well as outside. The vehicle is offered only in diesel engine options in the domestic market and the engine comes coupled to ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox. Under the hood, the new BMW X5 packs 3-litre inline six cylinder diesel motor, which can churn out 258 PS of max power and a peak torque of 560 Nm. Offering a top speed of 250kmph, the new X5 can accelerate 0-100kmph in 6.9 seconds.

Coming to the cosmetic changes received by the latest X5, the car wears a new stylish and refined look inside and out and comes with the latest iDrive Touch Controller. The car comes loaded with safety features like six air bags, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) including Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Electronic vehicle immobiliser and crash sensor. The X5 SUV flaunts a new grille and headlights and is lighter than its predecessor. The car takes on the like of Audi Q7 and the Mercedes Benz GL Class in the domestic market.

"A typical day in the life of a BMW X5 is always different, depending on which part of the world it calls home. With the all-new BMW X5, you can go just about anywhere in luxury. The engineers and designers who created it have enhanced its luxurious character and taken things to a new level. Exploring the world in the all-new BMW X5 is a joy like no other," Motoroids quoted Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India.

The new BMW X5 will be available in five paint jobs - Black Sapphire, Glacier Silver, Imperial Blue Brilliant Effect, Space Grey and Sparkling Brown and is expected to reach the retail stores in the first week of June. The dealerships of the company have started bookings for its new vehicle earlier this month for a token amount of ₹5 lakh. The car will be brought to India as Completely Knocked Down (CKD) units and will be assembled locally at BMW's plant.

BMW's M6 Gran Coupé made its debut in India recently with a price tag of ₹1.75 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi). The petrol-powered performance oriented four door coupe is based on M5 sedan platform and comes with two twin-scroll turbo 4.4-litre V8 engine, which can churn out a power of 560 PS between 6,000 to 7,000 rpm and a peak torque of 680 Nm at 1,500 - 5,750 rpm. The engine is mated to seven-speed dual clutch gearbox and can accelerate 0 - 100kmph in 4.2 seconds.

The car offers four power modes - Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and the Sport+ and comes bundled with safety features like front and side airbags for both the driver and passenger, ABS, EBD, CBC (Cornering Brake Control) and DSC (Dynamic Stability Control).