BMW X5 eDrive prototype spotted in China

BMW, as we know, is readying a plug-in hybrid version of its full-size SUV – the X5. The brand has even released a video detailing the efficiency of the hybrid technology earlier this year and now, pictures of an undisguised prototype model have surfaced on the internet, showing the new  X5 eDrive.

The prototype model has been spied on test in China. Expectedly, the car is seen with a revised bumper designed to improve aerodynamic efficiency. There’s also a plug-in charging port on the front-left fender of the vehicle. 

Not much is known about the identity of this new plug-in hybrid model but the production-spec model is likely to come with the ‘xDrive40e’ badge. The vehicle will carry the same set of engine and gearbox, which means we can expect the same 2-litre, four cylinder turbocharged petrol engine working in conjunction with an electric motor for propulsion. The lithium-ion battery, meanwhile, will be mounted underneath the boot floor. The combined power output from both petrol and electric motors is expected to be over 340bhp and 550Nm of torque. On electric power alone, the X5 eDrive is said to cover distance of up to 32 km.    

BMW is expected to showcase the new X5 eDrive later this year during the 2014 Paris Motor Show. Given the non-existent demand for plug-in hybrid models in the Indian market, it is highly unlikely for the X5 eDrive to be introduced by BMW India. 

Source: auto.ifeng.com