BMW Sports Activity Vehicle, the 2011 X5 will make it to Indian shores shortly

2011 BMW X5 Car

Almost 10 years ago, in the cold, biting winter of 1999, BMW startled one and all by unveiling the BMW X5, dubbed sports activity vehicle. This SUV which handled more like a car than a ponderous off roader managed to endear itself to car as well as SUV drivers. What it also did was, it forced other manufacturers to rethink their SUV designs, thus spawning an all segment, the sports activity segment.

BMW India sold the X5 in India too with a decent sales figure affirming BMW India’s faith in India’s high end, luxury SUV market. In a mid career facelift, BMW is giving the 2011 X5 a nip here and a tuck there, along with a couple of heart transplants thrown in for good measure.

2011 BMW X5 SAV

The dashboard, headlamps, taillamps as well as the air intakes go under the cosmetic surgeon’s scalpel to end up looking no different from the existing version. This redesign is going to appeal to a lot of people even as it doesn’t look newer, something that wasn’t always the case during Chris Bangle’s tenure at BMW design. One of the two heart transplants is the single-turbo 3000cc inline-six diesel, rated at 300 hp that will work with an eight-speed automatic pummel the terrain into submission with a nought to hundred in a claimed 6.4 seconds.

If that isn’t rapid enough, how about a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 petrol with an extra 100 horses to cut the ice for you. The 100 more galloping stallions will shave off more than a second off the nought to hundred times, which now come in at 5.3 seconds. That is one rapid SUV, er SAV that will have sporty sedans cowering in it’s presence.

2011 BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle

Meanwhile, the power transmission duties will be handled by an eight speed auto box with plenty of modes suit your moods, pun definitely intended. If fellow German compatriots and competitors like Audi and Volkswagen doing their bit to conserve energy, how can BMW be left wanting in this regard.

So, the boffins at BMW have included a brake energy regeneration system to save or rather reuse that little bit of power to make our planet a tad more cleaner and greener. Expect BMW India to ring in the 2011 X5 sometime later in 2010. Till then, keep an eye out for further buzz on the Sports Activity Vehicle.