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2020 BMW X5 xDrive45e Lands – 3.0 I-6, 394PS, RM441k Without SST

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A year after its pure-combustion sibling made its debut, BMW Group Malaysia has finally unveiled the long-awaited X5 xDrive45e PHEV, which will take the place of the mightily-successful F15 predecessor model. Dubbed the G05, the new X5 PHEV has big shoes to fill – thankfully, it seems to be intent on doing so just fine.

Under the skin you’ll find a brand new chassis, upon which sits a brand new powertrain. Gone is the strained 2.0-litre 4-cylinder that was the bugbear of many owners (of both the X5 as well as the pre-LCI G01 7-Series PHEV), and in its place stands a beefier 3.0-litre straight-6 mill. Aside from providing the soundtrack that any self-respecting BMW owner should demand, it also puts out a more meaty 286PS and 450Nm, making it a pretty brawny thing alone even before you consider the added pep that the plug-in hybrid side of the powertrain offers.

The X5 xDrive45e also comes with an electric motor, sandwiched between the 3.0-litre petrol mill up front and the ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox. That motor provides on its own an additional 113PS and 265Nm, though BMW claims the combined output looks like 394hp and 600Nm. Despite the sheer size of the G05, the plug-in hybrid X5 can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 5.6-seconds, before going on to a top speed of 235km/h.

The new G05 doesn’t just have performance stats to offer, but proper eco-friendly credentials too. Thanks to a new 24kWh battery, the G05 X5 can run zero-emissions for 77km on a full charge (according to BMW Malaysia). As a result, it is reasonable to assume that most Malaysian owners who keep their X5’s juiced-up will be able to complete most of their weekly runs on pure electric power alone, contributing to a low 2.5L/100km claimed fuel consumption figure. The only drawback to this is the charging times: Due to the enormity of the battery, the X5 xDrive45e requires 6.8-hours to charge from flat to full via a Type-2 3.7kW connector, but plugged into a standard 230V 3-point domestic plug it’ll take about 11-hours. Yikes.

Inside, the cockpit of the New BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport is stylishly fitted with Leather Vernasca upholstery for a touch of elegance. The interior also features M leather steering wheel, an electrically adjustable steering wheel, Sport front seats with memory function for the driver’s seat, four-zone automatic air conditioning and the instrument panel in Sensatec. Excellent music for driving is further boosted with the 464W 16-Speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system.

The new SAV comes with a boot capacity that can be easily increased from 500 litres to 1,720 litres. The new SAV also comes with automatic tailgate operation with contactless opening and closing functions, along with a two-section tailgate for ease of loading. The top section can be opened electrically, while the bottom section is released manually.

The highlight of the new BMW X5 xDrive45e M-Sport is the BMW Live Cockpit Professional with Gesture Control and Intelligent Personal Assistant. The BMW Live Cockpit Professional combines the 12.3-inch Fully Digital Instrument Display with an equally large touchscreen Control Display. Rear passengers will be able to enjoy the Rear Seat Entertainment Professional with a 10.2-inch touchscreen monitor. Wireless charging is also offered for added convenience on the road. Next-level driving assistance is offered via the BMW Personal CoPilot, which includes Lane Departure Warning and Lane Changing Warning. The system also features Frontal Collision Warning with braking intervention, Rear Crossing Traffic Warning, Rear Collision Prevention, as well as speed limit info.

The BMW X5 xDrive45e does a very good job of lowering the local cost of entry into the X5 range – at RM440,745 it is significantly cheaper than its pure-combustion brother, which debuted in Malaysia at RM618,888. That said, the greener sibling will face very, very stiff competition from the beloved & respected Volvo XC90, which was recently refreshed to improve its overall packaging as well as its price, which tops out at RM409,888 for the fully-loaded T8 TwinEngine Inscription Plus variant.

All new BMW X5 xDrive45e’s will be available with a 5-year/unlimited mileage warranty, as well as a separate 8-year/160,000km warranty for the plug-in hybrid powertrain. Additionally, you get free scheduled services for the first 5-years of ownership too.

The 2020 BMW X5 xDrive45e is available with the Balloon Financing Plan via BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia, with monthly installments starting from RM5,028 (based on an 80% loan over a 5-year tenure). The new X5 PHEV will be available for viewing in showrooms beginning this Saturday, the 20th of June.

ED: It’ll be interesting to pit the German newcomer with the steady and unflinching Swede, don’t you think? Let us know in the comments below, or on our Facebook page. Maybe that will get BMW Malaysia’s attention…

BMW Group Malaysia Reports Valiant Show In 2019 – 11,567 Units Across BMW, MINI, Motorrad Divisions

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In an event held in the city centre today, BMW Group Malaysia announced their ‘2019 Report Card’ to detail how the Group performed in what’s unilaterally regarded as a ‘challenging year’ in a ‘challenging market.’ Despite the headwinds, BMW Group Malaysia posted some pretty healthy numbers, driven by the 32 model variants introduced in 2019 across the BMW, MINI, and BMW Motorrad arms of the business.

BMW Group Malaysia was keen to underline that it retains its position as the leading electrified-mobility provider in Malaysia, with 3,148 units of electrified BMWs and MINIs delivered in 2019, contributing to the overall total in excess of 17,000 electrified models since BMW Group Malaysia began its electrified offensive in 2015. This was backed up by an introduction of 18 new BMW i charging facilities across the country, bringing the total number of chargers installed by the brand in the last three years to over 30.

“Against the backdrop of a challenging year for the automotive sector, we are proud to have achieved such success within the electrified segment in Malaysia and across the globe – which reaffirms our optimism for the year ahead. We are committed to continue leading the charge for electromobility in Malaysia, especially in light of the upcoming National Automotive Policy announcement that will see electrified vehicles play a prominent role in propelling our automotive sector to greater heights.”

Mr. Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director, BMW Group Malaysia

The success of the Group was driven primarily by the BMW brand itself, with 9,300 new owners recorded in 2019. The new 3-Series racked up 2,514 registrations, of which over 1,000 were made up of the BMW 330e M-Sport. The 5-Series came in as the second biggest contributor, with over 2,000 new owners found in the same period.

The BMW X family of vehicles also made good headway in 2019, with 3,985 units recorded between all its members. The X3 brought back 1,354 sales, with the smaller X1 totalling 1,331 sales. The BMW X5 xDrive40e also played a critical role, with 975 units (or 24% of the overall BMW X sales) recorded in 2019.

MINI on the other hand saw a shift of 1,142 vehicles, with the Mini Countryman contributing over half of all deliveries. BMW Motorrad followed right behind the British marque with 1,125 units shifted too, with the Adventure segment finding over 600 new homes.

Compared to their performance in 2018, BMW Group saw a drop of 2,771 overall sales, or nearly 20% year-on-year. This is in keeping with the shrinkage of premium segment sales over an otherwise stagnant total industry volume. Only Volvo has come out of this rough patch unscathed, charting a growth of over 30% through 2019 while its major competitors had to tighten their belts.

Regardless, it is promising to see that the BMW Group remains committed to the Malaysian market with plans already being laid to make full use of the soon-to-be-announced National Automotive Policy that will hopefully see their Kulim, Kedah plant continue to play a major role in the brand’s presence in the ASEAN market.