The new BMW X5 is coming soon – and there will be a hydrogen-powered version!

This is the new BMW X5, the fifth generation of our favourite luxury SUV. The current car is one of a very select few cars which has a 10/10 Wowscore, because it’s a very difficult car to find fault with.

It’s a tough act to follow for the new one, but it’s going to help that there’s such a wide variety of power options. Most notably, there’s going to be a hydrogen-powered version alongside the traditional battery-powered electric car.

The petrol and diesel versions are slated for a reveal in mid-2026, while the hydrogen iX5 is coming in 2028.

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New BMW iX5 Hydrogen

The new BMW iX5 will be BMW’s first ever mass-produced hydrogen car, and BMW is also working to expand the global network of hydrogen filling stations to make it a viable option for consumers.

Right now, there are only 16 hydrogen filling stations in the UK, compared to over 8,000 petrol forecourts. That rules out hydrogen cars for the vast majority of drivers.

BMW’s Hydrogen Mobility At Scale (HyMoS) campaign is already supporting the rollout of new hydrogen stations in Germany and France, with plans to expand to other countries in the coming years.

But what are the benefits of hydrogen cars?

Hydrogen fuel cells offer the zero-emission driving of an electric car with the convenience of being able to fill up like a petrol car. You simply fill the tank with hydrogen, and the fuel cell turns that into electricity to power the motors.

This eliminates the need for massive batteries, and the only emission is pure water. You can also get upwards of 400 miles out of a tank, and filling up takes mere minutes.

Sounds great, but why have hydrogen cars not taken off yet?

The lack of filling stations is one factor, but there are also some technical hurdles to overcome.

The main one is the fact that hydrogen fuel cells aren’t hugely efficient. The hydrogen itself is cheap, but you need a lot of it to get decent range. This means you need massive tanks, and this robs interior space. The Toyota Mirai is the only hydrogen car you can buy in the UK, and it’s around the same size as a BMW 5 Series with similar interior space to some hatchbacks.

BMW is actually working in conjunction with Toyota to work around this issue. The new iX5 will use BMW’s third-generation fuel cell, and it’s 25% smaller than the old one while also being more power-dense.

New BMW X5: it’s not all about hydrogen

The new iX5 Hydrogen is a big bit of news, but the new X5 will also be available as a traditional plug-in electric car, a plug-in hybrid and you’ll be able to get petrol and diesel versions as well.

The iX5 is likely to be based on the same collection of parts as the iX3, meaning you can expect to see a 108kWh battery and close to 500 miles of range. It’ll probably be able to charge at up to 400kW as well, allowing you to add 230 miles of range in just 10 minutes.

As for the petrol-powered cars, BMW is unlikely to be developing all-new engines for this car at a time where the future of internal combustion is uncertain. We know it’s working to bring some of its current engines up to the latest emissions standards, including the 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six from the M3, so a range of 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre units is to be expected.

New BMW X5 design

These camouflaged teasers are the only pictures we have of the new BMW iX5 for now, but you can already see some of the Neue Klasse design features from the new iX3 poking through the wrap.

You have the wide double grilles across the front end, and we’d be shocked if there weren’t two small upright kidney grilles in the centre under that disguise. This is a design feature we’ll see on all of BMW’s SUVs going forward.

The side profile is very similar to the iX3, so it’s quite smooth and pebble-like. The rear end is quite well-disguised for now, but some wide and sleek LED taillights are likely to feature here.

New BMW X5: when can I buy one?

The next-generation BMW X5 is likely to be revealed in 2026, but the hydrogen iX5 isn’t coming until 2028. So you’ve got a while to wait yet.

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