The new BMW X5 has X-shaped lights and looks like a supersized iX3
BMW's best-seller gets a new face, and the giant grille era looks to be ending
BMW is about to reveal the most important SUV it makes, and the teasers suggest a big change. The next-generation X5 has been previewed with striking new X-shaped daytime running lights and a clean, Neue Klasse-inspired face that looks a lot like a larger version of the new iX3. For a model that has worn ever-bigger kidney grilles in recent years, this is a notable shift.
The X-lights are the story
The headline detail is the lighting. The new X5, codenamed G65, gets distinctive X-shaped daytime running lights as its main visual signature, paired with a slimmer, more upright grille. It is a clear move away from the oversized kidneys that have dominated recent BMWs, and it gives the big SUV a calmer, more modern look. Crucially, the design is shared across the whole range, so every version gets the same fresh front end.
Yes, it looks like a big iX3
If the new X5 looks familiar, that is by design. It mirrors the aesthetic direction of BMW's new iX3, the first car of the brand's Neue Klasse era, with the X5 and electric iX5 sharing front-end styling. Essentially, BMW is rolling its clean new design language up from the iX3 into its larger, more profitable SUVs, so a supersized iX3 is a pretty accurate description. The current generation's split tailgate has also been dropped.
Five ways to power it
BMW is hedging its bets on powertrains in a big way. The new X5 will be offered in five flavours: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, a fully electric iX5 and, arriving in 2028, a hydrogen fuel-cell version that will be BMW's first series-production hydrogen car after decades of prototypes. The electric iX5 is set to carry the largest battery BMW has ever fitted, which is expected to make it one of the heaviest production BMWs yet, at around 2,800 kg.
When we see it
The full reveal is imminent, with the new X5 due to break cover on 30 June. Sales are expected to begin later in 2026 or early 2027 depending on the market, with the hydrogen iX5 following in 2028. Full specifications and power figures will come with the official unveiling.
AutoNext Take
After years of BMWs trying to out-grille each other, a calmer, cleaner X5 is genuinely welcome, and the X-shaped lights are a clever, distinctive signature that suits the brand. Spreading the iX3's tidy Neue Klasse face across the range should make the whole BMW line-up feel more coherent again. The really telling decision is offering five powertrains in one car, including hydrogen: rather than betting everything on electric, BMW is keeping every door open, which feels like the smart play in an uncertain market. We will reserve final judgement until we see it in full, but on this evidence the X5 is heading in the right direction.
BMW's electric push is well underway: see the iX5 with its huge 141 kWh battery, the electric i3 that revives the 3 Series, and how the next M3 will split into pure combustion and pure electric.
