New BMW X5 L for China: plus 130mm to the wheelbase and hope to regain former love

Just one month after the global premiere of the fifth-generation BMW X5 (factory code G65), a stretched version for China has been unveiled, with its own factory code G78. The new BMW X5 L will not go on sale until next year.

BMW only recently began lengthening the X5 for China: this first happened in 2022 with the fourth-generation crossover, which also marked the first time the X5 was locally produced in China at the BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) joint venture in Shenyang. The Chinese market received the fourth-generation BMW X5 L well; for the first couple of years it was one of the best-selling models in its segment, but demand is now falling, as it is for the rest of BMW's model range. According to the company itself, combined sales of BMW and Mini brands in China fell by 20.4% to 261,773 vehicles in the first half of this year. With this trajectory, BMW's influence in China could be negligible in a couple of years, but nonetheless, the new stretched X5 will be here.

The new BMW X5 L is put together using exactly the same recipe as its predecessor: the wheelbase has been increased by 130 mm to 3,165 mm. How much the overall length has grown compared to the global version of the crossover is not yet known, but since there are no fundamental differences in appearance between the Chinese and global versions, the increase is likely the same 130 mm, meaning the overall length of the new Chinese BMW X5 L is 5,124 mm.

All of this extra space benefits second-row passengers: in the Chinese BMW X5 L, they can comfortably stretch their legs forward, rest them on retractable supports, recline the seatbacks, and sleep comfortably on the road. Awake passengers can watch films on an 8K-resolution screen that lowers from the ceiling. The panoramic glass roof extends almost to the rear headrests. The multimedia system has been adapted for Chinese users, meaning all banned Western apps have been removed and replaced with Chinese ones.

The new BMW X5 L will only be launched on the Chinese market next year, so specific variants have not yet been announced; all that is known is that there will be petrol, hybrid, and fully electric versions. The electric crossover is called the BMW iX5 L.

What are the prospects? They are poor. The problem is that even the locally produced BMW X5 L is extremely expensive in China: specifically, from 598,000 yuan (approximately 6.9 million roubles at the current exchange rate) for the previous-generation crossover. For that kind of money, you could get a much more powerful and high-tech Zeekr 9X 'fully loaded' or any other large, new crossover from a well-established Chinese brand. The upcoming Xiaomi SkyNomad N90 will simply 'kill' the new BMW X5 L with its price. So what is BMW management counting on? Apparently, inertia: for another couple of years, BMW's business in China will likely still turn a profit, after which they can gradually wind things down.