Tax-busting BMW X5 3.0d revealed

A new BMW X5 3.0d goes on sale in October with a revised powerplant for lower emissions and improved economy. The new X5 is now the only conventionally-powered vehicle in its segment with a CO2 emissions figure that falls below the highest 225g/km banding for Vehicle Excise Duty.

Engineers have utilised BMW’s EfficientDynamics know-how and applied it to the BMW X5 3.0d to achieve this impressive result. The new model now comes with Brake Energy Regeneration and various needs-only control of ancillary devices. An air-conditioning compressor that decouples from the drivetrain when not in use and air flaps that can close off air flow to the engine to improve aerodynamics when the engine is not at full load are two such examples. All of these features enable the model to produce a CO2 emission figure of 214g/km – a drop of 17g/km compared to the previous model.

The changes on the X5 3.0d have resulted in the vehicle now qualifying for Band F instead of Band G Vehicle Excise Duty, saving owners £95 a year. Fuel consumption on the combined cycle also improves from 32.5mpg to 34.9mpg, as does acceleration from zero to 62mph – down to 8.1 seconds from 8.3 seconds.

News of the revised 3.0-litre diesel comes at the same time as fuel saving technology has been applied to the range-topping 4.8-litre petrol and 3.0-litre petrol-engined variants. The BMW X5 3.0si now records an improved combined consumption figure of 27.7mpg compared to 25.9mpg. Emissions have been cut from 260g/km to 244g/km. Meanwhile, the BMW X5 4.8i sees its consumption figure improve from 22.6mpg to 23.5mpg and the CO2 emissions figure drop from 299g/km to 286g/km.