While we’re patiently waiting to see more images with other versions of the X5 LCI and X6 LCI beyond the xDrive50e and M60i, BMW has something else to show. After debuting earlier this week, the dynamic duo returns in official design sketches depicting the M Performance flavor, plus a couple of renderings of a lesser X5 trim level.
As it’s always the case with sketches provided by an automaker, some of the proportions of the car have been deliberately exaggerated. We’re specifically talking about the oversized wheels and the bulging arches, while the door handles have been removed in a bid to create a sleeker side profile. The sketches accentuate the sharper front fascia introduced with the Life Cycle Impulse for the 2024 model year.
With the first-ever M60i, both luxury SUVs are now proudly carrying an M badge on the grille to echo the fully fledged X5 M and X6 M. In addition, the M-specific mirror design is also trickling down to the M Performance version. We’ve seen this move before as the M850i LCI also comes in this configuration. Not only that, but the M340i/M340d LCI now has the M mirrors as well, although without the “world’s most powerful letter” adorning the kidneys.
The posh SUVs haven’t changed all that much on the outside as more significant modifications are noticeable on the outside. As shown in the adjacent sketches, the X5 and X6 have a simplified dashboard with fewer conventional controls. Most of the functions are now accessible through the iDrive 8, with a 12.3-inch driver’s display and a 14.9-inch touchscreen sticking out from the dash. A smaller gear selector has further decluttered the cabin while the central air vents are now considerably slimmer.
Depending on whether it’s a regular trim level or an M Performance, an illuminated ambient light bar on the passenger side of the dashboard has an X5/X6 or an M logo. They’re not the first models to have this gimmick as the larger X7 has had it since last year with the mid-cycle update. The dashboard designs of all three models are very much alike and BMW is offering numerous possibilities to configure the cabin.
The public debut for both refreshed SUVs is scheduled for next month at the Amelia Concours d’Elegance, with production starting a month later in Spartanburg. The range-topping X5 M and X6 M will be revealed soon.
Source: BMW
via Tingle Cars