Alan Judd

Good manners

Alan Judd's Motoring

It’s fairly safe to say that when the experimental Lohner-Porsche became the world’s first four-wheel-drive car in 1899 its designers did not anticipate that exactly a century later another prestigious German manufacturer would launch a rather more successful 4WD that was — in one respect — technologically less advanced. That earlier car was powered by an electric motor fitted to each wheel, which is the sort of technology that manufacturers such as BMW, makers of the X5, are now beginning to look at.

Meanwhile, we can all feel pretty content with the offspring of Herr Rudolph Diesel (d.1913, presumed lost overboard from the Antwerp–Harwich steamer) that powers the current X5. The 3-litre lump is lively, flexible and frugal, offering 38.2mpg combined, 0–60mph in 8.3 seconds, a top speed of 134mph and emissions of 231g/km.

But figures are for those who figure. In the real world, looks and feel are what matter and the latest iteration of the X5 continues to justify the reputation it won on launch in 1999 as the driver’s SUV. Its £43,980–£58,175 price range puts it in a field crowded with quality — Range Rover Sport, Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes, VW, Volvo — and you’d need to drive them all for a proper comparison, but it’s hard to imagine any is more practical and road-friendly. It got the unanimous feminine vote in this household, not only because of the feelgood factor when arriving at Badminton.

What first strikes you about this shapely 5/7 seater is that it is obviously a BMW: spare, conservative, a clever mixture of flat and curved surfaces, a neat waistline, a touch of controlled aggression. The interior is spacious, very comfortable, uncluttered and ergonomically sensible. The sculpted electronic gearshift for the six-speed auto is simple and satisfying, visibility is good, despite fairly thick A pillars, and the whole package goes just where you put it.

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