BMW X5 China long-wheelbase launch planned for 2027

BMW is packing the new X5 with features designed to appeal to affluent Chinese buyers, including the BMW Theatre Screen with 8K streaming, gaming and video calling, plus dedicated rear-seat controls and a front-passenger display. The cabin adds slate natural-stone trim, crystal accents and ambient lighting, moving the SUV further upmarket at a time when luxury brands are competing as much on software and rear-seat experience as on engine output.

The gasoline version gets BMW’s fourth-generation 3.0-liter inline-six B58 engine, now rated at 400 horsepower and 580 Nm of torque, up 5% and 11.5% respectively, while the company says 0-100 kph acceleration improves to 5.3 seconds despite the longer body. The electric iX5 uses BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive system, an 800-volt architecture and cylindrical battery cells, with claimed range above 1,000 km in China’s CLTC test cycle.

For investors, the China-only strategy shows how critical the market remains for BMW and other premium automakers even as local brands intensify pressure across the high-end segment. BMW is also integrating Chinese partner Momenta’s end-to-end AI driver-assistance system, a reminder that foreign carmakers now need local software alliances to stay competitive in China’s increasingly tech-driven auto market.

The launch comes as China’s luxury segment faces a mix of slower consumer demand, intense domestic competition and a broader industry push toward smarter, longer-range electric vehicles. BMW did not disclose pricing, leaving the market to watch whether the brand can translate the X5’s upgraded China package into volume gains when deliveries begin in 2027.