2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ review

THE NÜRBURGRING Nordschleife in Germany is regarded as the ultimate proving ground for a car’s performance. Known as “the Green Hell”, the 12.8-mile former grand prix circuit is fast, narrow and scorched with the skid marks of the many drivers who have failed to cross the finishing line.

There are speed records for racing cars, motorbikes and non-road-legal motors, but the most coveted is for production cars that you and I can drive on the road — and that’s the title the new Lamborghini Aventador SVJ seized last year. It went round in just under 6 minutes and 45 seconds, a lap record.

For now, the Aventador SVJ has bragging rights over every other car out there. But how on earth do you test something this fast on a public road in Britain? Capable of achieving 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 217mph, the SVJ looks as menacing as a great white shark on its lunch break.

Certainly, the SVJ is the most powerful Lamborghini to leave the company’s Sant’Agata production facility near Bologna. It is likely to be a swan song for the company’s old-school V12 engine too. That’s because a technologically advanced, greener hybrid is set to be unveiled as supercar makers turn their attention to battery power.

To mark what could be a defining moment, then, Lamborghini tuned and modified the outgoing V12 to extract every last ounce of power.

The changes included titanium valves, a redesigned cylinder head and a lighter flywheel — the sort of stuff that makes motoring geeks salivate. These help to boost power and reduce the weight of the low-slung SVJ by more than 50kg to a trim 1,525kg – not that much heavier than a bog-standard Ford Focus.

Consequently, the SVJ revs noisily to beyond 8,500rpm and offers a wider band of torque, transferred to the road through a permanent four-wheel-drive system that has been modified for more rear-axle bias, thus improving the handling.

I doubt many Lambo owners lift the rear-mounted, carbon-fibre cover to peep at the engine. If they did, they would discover some exquisite architecture.

Stabbing the throttle unleashes a guttural snort that sounds like Brian Blessed having an asthma attack.

Perching above that lot is the latest version of Lamborghini’s active aerodynamic spoiler system, which attracts attention like a radar beacon. The huge rear wing isn’t there just for show. It increases downforce by more than 40% compared with the previous Aventador SV.

This is ingenious stuff that really requires a PowerPoint presentation to explain properly. On a fast corner, the forces created by the rear wing can be deflected left or right, increasing grip over the inside rear wheel, where it is most needed to keep the SVJ glued to the road.

It works brilliantly, but also attracts a trail of nerdy car-spotters in your wake, smartphone cameras pressed to their windscreens. Expect to go viral on social media if you crash — it’s that sort of machine. But at least you won’t be able to see most of your pursuers — the central pillar that supports the spoiler is so bizarrely placed, it blocks visibility. You might as well throw away the rear-view mirror and shave a few extra ounces off the weight.

Stabbing the throttle unleashes a guttural snort like Brian Blessed having an asthma attack. There’s no neighbour-friendly setting for those awkward, early-morning starts either, so don’t expect another barbecue invitation from No 17.

However, for sheer spectacle and sonic boom, the SVJ rivals Concorde. It’s tight for space inside, once the wing doors have been swung up to reveal a gaudy mix of imitation suede and leather in the cabin. The bucket seats are painful on a long journey, while visibility and headroom were an afterthought.

There’s nowhere to stash a phone, let alone my spotted handkerchief, and the eccentric dashboard layout appears to contain switchgear stolen from the original Tardis. A flip-up cover protecting the starter button is borrowed from a Top Gun fighter. The wow factor for new passengers is undeniable, but the flap, when left open, can catch a shirt cuff at the most awkward moments.

At least Lamborghini has dispensed with those silly indicator buttons fixed to the steering wheel on the Huracan, a wild sister car that is equally deserving of the raging bull badge. Impossible to operate at night, the tiny switches have been replaced with a conventional column stalk in the Aventador.

Efficient Ferraris and soulless McLarens can’t hold a candle to the vibrations and resonating thrills of the supersonic SVJ

There’s nothing easy or straightforward about any Aventador, of course — even climbing in and out is a Houdini-style feat designed to scalp all 6ft-plus passengers. The music system is so tinny, it sounds as if the DJ has dug up an antique phonograph, and the restricted luggage space under the bonnet needs to be supplemented by stuffing the passenger footwell.

Worst of all, the single-clutch gearbox is almost comically antiquated. At low speed, occupants will be doing a head-nodding workout worthy of Jane Fonda, usually accompanied by cries of: “It’s not my rubbish gearchange, honest.”

Matters improve dramatically at higher velocity, when the shift is smoother. Not that you’ll notice, because harnessing the SVJ on a public road demands full attention.

Straight-line performance in the SVJ is stupendous. And when you’re heading into a corner, each high-revving downshift on the huge paddle-shifters is pure drama, especially on a wet British road in winter. This amount of performance and grip takes some getting used to.

With all this set off by an old-fashioned V12 soundtrack and outlandish styling, the Aventador delivers a sensory overload rarely found in any car these days. Modern, efficient Ferraris and soulless McLarens can’t hold a candle to the vibrations and resonating thrills of the supersonic SVJ, which really sticks the boot in.

Of course, for more than £350,000 you might expect nothing less. If you want to make an entrance, there’s very little on the road that shouts as loud as a Lamborghini. And that price doesn’t include some of the optional equipment on my test car, including a “viola” paint job at £9,270 and a carbon engine rocker cover for £4,200 (I said it was beautiful).

In any other circumstances it would be right to suggest the Aventador is a two-seater that’s reached its sell-by date. But what Lamborghini has done here is turn an ageing, outrageous supercar into something even more spectacular. Just for one last fling, for old times’ sake — and if only to annoy the neighbours.

 

Head to head

Lamborghini Aventador SVJ vs McLaren 720S

	Lamborghini Aventador LP770-4 SVJ	McLaren 720S
Price	£356,000	£208,600
Power	759bhp	710bhp
0-62mph	2.8sec	2.9sec
Top speed	217mph	212mph

The post 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ review appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/2019-lamborghini-aventador-svj-review/

2019 Volkswagen T-Roc review

THE VW Golf, someone once said, is a byword for everything you really need from a car. It is the answer to every motoring question that’s been asked. You’re a tearaway and you want something fun. Buy a Golf GTI (Clarkson did). You’re a commuter and you need a sensible car to drive to the station. Buy a Golf GTD. You’re a nurse and you need something cheap and reliable to get you to the hospital every morning. Buy a second-hand Golf S. Problem solved, then.

But wait — maybe the question is, “What if I need an SUV for ease of loading and unloading and riding over urban speed bumps, and because it feels safer on the motorway?”

The Golf is still the answer, even though in this case it’s called a T-Roc. Ignore the trendy name — it’s a jacked-up Golf. Its designers have given it a rugged look, but the disguise is fooling no one. It should have been called a Golf X-Cross.

The reason it wasn’t is that VW didn’t want the Golf brand to steal sales from soft SUVs made by its subsidiaries: the Skoda Karoq, the Seat Ateca and the Audi Q2. Asked how it came up with the name T-Roc, Volkswagen was at a loss to explain. Maybe the marketing people came back with hangovers from a three-day brainstorming session and hit random keys on the computer.

Whatever, the T-Roc is a Golf for the new, suburban, safety-conscious school-run, flat-pack, garden-centre generation.

True, it’s not the most practical of the family. That’d be the Golf estate. The VW stylists clearly got their way in deciding the raked roofline at the back, which reduces rear visibility as well as headroom and boot space. It won’t swallow a fridge-freezer, though it will fit a Billy bookcase.

There’s no point going on at length about how the T-Roc drives or its build quality, because as it’s merely an addition to the Golf clan, the chances are you’ve already experienced it in some form. Volkswagen is a master at repurposing cars among its many subsidiaries.

All car manufacturers do this to some extent, to spread the enormous engineering costs more thinly. For instance, the Fiat 500 is a Panda underneath; the new Toyota Supra is a BMW Z4 in a new outfit. But no one excels like Volkswagen at this practice of platform-sharing, and no platform is more widely shared than the Golf’s.

In addition to underpinning those SUVs already mentioned, it is used in the Audi A3, Q3 and TT, the Seat Leon, the Skoda Octavia and the VW Tiguan and Touran.

Ignore the Volkswagen T-Roc’s trendy name and rugged look — underneath, it’s a jacked-up Golf

In one sense, then, buying a T-Roc is like wearing the same jeans as everyone else, made in the same factory with the same grade of denim, but with a slightly different wash and a different label.

This may make you bridle at the idea of conformity, but it’s no bad thing when it comes to selling on. Like the Golf, the T-Roc makes a virtue of being inoffensive. It’s not the cheapest car in the world, but neither is it conspicuously expensive. It doesn’t say you’re hard-up; nor does it say you’re a show-off — it’s timeless and classless. So finding a buyer will be more straightforward than for, say, an orange Vauxhall Mokka X.

There’s no shortage of choice in this, the most buoyant sector of the car market. But unless you haven’t forgiven VW for Dieselgate, choosing a T-Roc is more “why not” than “why”.

There’s the Mini Countryman, but not everyone’s a fan. Clarkson called it dreary, ugly and unnecessary. Perhaps you like the look of the Toyota C-HR, but after you’ve test-driven one you may change your mind.

That said, choosing which T-Roc to buy isn’t easy. VW turns it out with a bewildering number of engines and trims, and that’s before you start adding options. The result is that the £33,930 2-litre automatic version costs a staggering 76% more than the 1-litre manual, at £19,270.

The good news is that the T-Roc comes with a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines — evidence, if it were needed, that petrol is in the ascendancy after years of retreat. At one stage, if you wanted a Golf-platformed car such as the Tiguan in right-hand drive, you could buy only diesel. After Dieselgate, VW hastily reversed its policy.

In terms of engine size, you may want to take the Goldilocks approach. The middle-of-the-range petrol 1.5-litre T-Roc comes with a stress-free DSG auto gearbox in SE trim for £24,210 (in the snazzy R-Line trim — with oversized wheels — it’s £28,455). If that price seems high, it’s worth noting that a comparable Nissan Qashqai — the bestseller in this class — costs about the same.

If you choose the DSG version, the T-Roc will shift gears snappily and pull away smoothly from standstill. The engine has gusto when you want it on B-roads and is unobtrusive on A-roads.

It’s not a low-slung hot hatch, mind, so it’s never going to corner and accelerate like a GTI. This is a Golf that’s grown up and bought a home, rather than one that spends nights on the tiles.

If you can’t wait the 8.4 seconds it takes the T-Roc to get to 62mph, there’s a speedier version on the way: the T-Roc R. It will use the 296bhp engine from the Golf R to give a 0-62mph time of about five seconds.

If you’re bewildered by the engine range, the 1.5-litre petrol is worth looking at if you want to take the Goldilocks approach

If you’re less worried about performance than running costs and carbon dioxide emissions, then the diesel 1.6 TDI SE at £23,040 is for you.

All models come with safety systems such as forward collision warning and emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control is standard on the SE and pricier versions. These are should-have, if not must-have, electronic lookouts, especially if you drive long distances. They are co-pilots that never tire of keeping a safe distance between you and the traffic in front.

That doesn’t mean they’re a substitute for staying alert, but they’ve proved their worth in accident prevention, in the way that seatbelts and antilock braking did. On rivals from the VW stable such as the Karoq, adaptive cruise control costs £300 extra.

If you want fancy add-ons on the T-Roc, a panoramic sunroof costs £1,080, and there’s four-wheel drive at £1,690. It’s good for slippery roads, or overflow parking in a field, but this isn’t an off-road vehicle. It may look pumped up, but it’s not heavy-duty, and there’s not enough ground clearance for proper mud-plugging.

There will be those who ask why the world needs another soft-roader. After all, every type you could want is available, surely, from the budget Dacia Duster, SsangYong Tivoli and MG ZS through to those mid-range favourites the Renault Kadjar, Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 5008 to premium models such as the Mercedes-Benz GLA, Jaguar E-Pace and Volvo XC40.

Well, here’s why. The higher driving position is an advantage on busy roads, and the ease of access is important if you’re a back-pain sufferer or a parent with young children. Or just someone who has to haul around shopping and other paraphernalia. With the lives people lead these days, those things matter.

Welcome, then, to the most grown-up Golf of the range, the X-Cross. Sorry, T-Roc.

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Head to head

Volkswagen T-Roc vs Nissan Qashqai

	Volkswagen T-Roc R-Line 1.5 TSI	Nissan Qashqai Tekna+ 1.3 DIG-T 160PS
Price	£28,455	£29,195
Power	148bhp	158bhp
0-62mph	8.4sec	8.9sec
Top speed	127mph	124mph

 

The Clarkson review: Ford Fiesta Zetec S Red Edition (2015)

The post 2019 Volkswagen T-Roc review appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/2019-volkswagen-t-roc-review/

Extended Test: 2019 Volvo V60 T5 Inscription

Specifications

• Model 2019 Volvo V60 T5 Inscription
• Engine 1,969cc, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol
• Power 247bhp @ 5,500rpm
• Torque 258 Ib ft @ 1,800rpm
• Kerb weight 1,645kg
• Towing capacity 1,800kg (braked) / 750kg (unbraked)
• Top speed 145mph
• 0-62mph 6.7sec
• Fuel consumption (WLTP) 41.5mpg (combined)
• CO2 emissions 157g/km (NEDC)
• Road tax £515 for first year; £140 for years 2-6 (without options)
• Price from £38,270
• Price with options £45,745
• Options fitted Metallic paint, £650; Intellisafe Pro Pack, £1,625; Xenium Pack, £1,800; Convenience Pack, £500; Tinted rear windows, £600; Winter Pack, £525; Sensus Connect with Harman Kardon audio, £825; Keyless Drive plus handsfree tailgate operation, £500; Smartphone integration, £300; Space saver spare wheel, £150.

Test details

• Test period February – August 2019
• Starting mileage

Updates

• March 3, 2019 Can a petrol estate car do a better job than a diesel SUV?

March 3, 2019: Can a petrol estate car do a better job than a diesel SUV?

After running what seemed to me to be the perfect family car, a seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq 4×4 SUV, the worry is that this Volvo V60 estate is on a hiding to nothing. So why choose a car that’s smaller, has fewer seats, lacks four-wheel drive, isn’t as economical yet costs more money?

Well, despite their popularity, SUVs are rarely rewarding to drive. Yes, they give you a good view of the road and some do a fair job of smothering the shocking state of Britain’s roads, but when it comes to the way they make you feel when the road ahead unfolds like a vista of driving nirvana from an episode of The Grand Tour, they’re about as satisfying as a soggy cheese sandwich.

So we’re giving Volvo’s mid-range estate — a rival to the BMW 3-series Touring, Audi A4 Avant, Mercedes C-class estate and suchlike — a try. Might it raise a smile on the right road?

At the same time, the Skoda was diesel but diesel is now considered a dirty word. The car makers will tell us that the toxic damage caused by the latest diesels with all manner of fancy-pants emissions treatment is less impactful than an equivalent petrol-powered car. But can we trust them? After all, that’s what Volkswagen told the world before dieselgate. You can understand the public’s concern.

So the V60 has a petrol engine. It’s called a T5, and is the only petrol unit currently available in the V60 range, complete with an automatic gearbox as standard. It’s powerful and so not especially frugal, but its relatively high consumption can be forgiven if it’s found to drive better than a diesel and the car feels as though it’s solid value for money.

Well, that’s another thing: our test car is kitted out in Inscription trim — the second poshest trim level in the range. Volvo anticipates that it’ll be popular, however, only outsold by R-Design versions.

To this, Volvo had already added a hefty range of options before we could intervene, taking the price from £38,270 to £45,745.

This price hike is worth dwelling on momentarily. By pushing it over £40,000, someone buying this car would face a significant hike in road tax, from the second to sixth years included (up from £140 a year to £450).

There are more affordable versions available but only one costs less than £37,000, so anyone who wants to avoid paying such a penalty in road tax will have to go easy on the options or pay for the privilege.

Setting all that to one side, I defy anyone to deny that the V60 is one of the best looking estate cars on the road. Furthermore, it has one of the most calming interior environments of any estate, too. But is there more to this car’s personality beneath the surface? Time will tell.

Thinking of buying a Volvo V60? Or do you already own one? Share your experiences in the comments below, or drop Millsy a tweet.

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The post Extended Test: 2019 Volvo V60 T5 Inscription appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/extended-test-2019-volvo-v60-t5-inscription/

2019 Mazda 3 review

If you had to name the three most crowded markets in the world, it’d probably go something like this: the Wall Street trading floor circa 1987; the Cairo market out of Raiders of the Lost Ark; the current family hatchback car market.

The rising popularity of crossover SUVs – many of which are spun off hatchbacks – has done nothing to make the buying process any less mystifying for drivers. And sales figures show that big, high-riding, rugged-looking crossovers are as alluring as a silver earing to a crow.

That’s why car companies like Mazda are working harder than ever to make their traditional family hatches stand out, and this new, fourth generation Mazda 3 is trying hard to impress.

When it goes on sale in Britain this spring it will compete with the eternally classy Volkswagen Golf and ever-popular Ford Focus, but buyers will also have the Peugeot 308, Renault Mégane, SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia on their shortlists, too.

Those with more to spend can find themselves pleasantly surprised by the finance deals available on the upmarket Audi A3, BMW 1-series, Mercedes A-class and Volvo V40.

With prices for the all-new Mazda 3 starting at £20,595, for a model in SE-L trim with a 122ps 2-litre Skyactiv-G M Hybrid petrol engine, the Japanese contender may seem like a bargain. Costs rise gradually through SE-L Lux and Sport Lux to GT Sport and the range-topping GT Sport Tech, which costs from £25,270.

This mild hybrid model, which uses an electric motor to provide power under acceleration, reducing the stress on the petrol engine for better fuel efficiency, is expected to be the best-selling version. But with 120bhp and no turbocharger, it’s no ball of fire, and the official WLTP fuel economy figure of 44.8-45.6mpg (depending on wheel size) isn’t class leading. But it goes about its business in a willing fashion and is – for the most part – smooth and quiet.

Also from launch there’s a 116ps 1.8-litre Skyactiv-D diesel engine, which attracts a two grand premium over the petrol, starting at £22,395, but it is more fuel efficient: the manual model will manage 55.4-56.5mpg.

Meanwhile, CO2 outputs for both are pretty decent, at 107-109g/km for the Skyactiv-D manual versus 117-119g/km for the equivalent Skyactiv-G M Hybrid. Both figures have been translated from the new test into old money, though, as tax will still be calculated based on the outgoing NEDC test; you can expect to pay £145 in the first year for the diesel and £165 for the petrol.

Both come with an automatic gearbox option, which marginally decreases efficiency.

But hold fire, because in the autumn, the company will add its Skyactiv-X engine to the UK line-up. Mazda claims this clever petrol motor has the same or better fuel-efficiency as the Skyactiv-D diesel, thanks to pioneering compression technology, but has the fun-to-drive characteristics of a petrol. It’s said to be 30% more fuel efficient than a conventional petrol engine, with CO2 emissions likely to dip below 100g/km. Those claims are still to be put to the test.

In the immediate term, just look at the new Mazda3. As hatchbacks go, it’s handsome. Its new clothes sit on a new chassis, which is stronger than before, reportedly allowing the engineers to take big strides in terms of cabin quietness, how smoothly it rides over crumbling roads and how precise it feels on a nice stretch of winding road.

Inside, it’s a relief to find that the days of Japanese cars having an interior with all the panache of a portaloo are over. The 2019 Mazda3’s cabin stands comparison with the current generation of Audi, BMW and Volkswagen hatchbacks. That’s not something we thought we’d see, but Mazda — like so many other brands — is on a mission to shift itself toward becoming a premium player, and this evidence, it really is walking the walk.

The elegantly slender dashboard is swathed with soft-touch surfaces, all the switchgear has a satisfying look and feel, there’s a new, larger 8.8in screen for the infotainment system and a partially digital instrument display.

What there isn’t, however, is a touchscreen interface. This is curious. At a time when most car makers are following Tesla’s lead and making touchscreens the default interface between man and machine, Mazda has expressed reservations about the safety of such systems. It told us that touchscreens cause the driver to unconsciously lean, which means they unwittingly apply enough extra steering lock to veer out of lane.

And even if you mount such touchscreens extremely close to the driver, it takes the human eye longer to focus, creating another hazard. At a time when the car is becoming an extension of the smartphone, it’s interesting for a car manufacturer to be so candid about the matter.

The answer, in the eyes of Mazda’s engineers at least, is to site the information screen at the top of the dashboard, back as close to the windscreen as possible, and pair it with a simple rotary controller or voice control. This tried-and-tested approach worked well in the time we spent with the car.

Drivers who need a hatchback to ferry around family may find that the back half of the new Mazda 3 is a little on the snug side. Anyone approaching six-foot and sat in the back will be rubbing their head on the roof, and high-backed booster seats will be a squeeze, as will lifting young children through the shallow door opening. There’s also less boot space than before, at 351-litres, although the back seats fold nearly flat to give more room.

Where the 3 will really make its mark with young families is on the test drive. Even if you don’t consider yourself a petrolhead and wouldn’t be caught watching an episode of Top Gear or The Grand Tour, something about the way the 3 drives will feel just right.

When just pottering to the shops, or parking in a tight spot, the Mazda3 has a precise and well-engineered way about it. It glides over crumbling roads, proves quiet at motorway speeds and comes alive on a stretch of winding road. In many respects, it is better to drive than the more established pack of posh (German) hatchbacks.

If it were at school, the 2019 Mazda3 would probably collect the end-of-year award for the most improved pupil. Whether that is enough to tempt Britain’s drivers from more established brand remains to be seen, but we’d suggest they’d be missing out if they didn’t at least give it a try.

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The post 2019 Mazda 3 review appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/first-drive/2019-mazda-3-review/

2019 BMW X5: video review, prices, engines and specs

BMW CLAIMS it found the “winning formula” with the first-gen BMW X5. Has the German car maker refined and improved that recipe with the new fourth-generation SUV?

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What is the BMW X5?

BMW had a relatively straightforward job when it launched the original BMW X5 in 1999: back then, the only real rival it had was the Land Rover Discovery (or possibly the Range Rover). Fast forward 20 years, and there’s now a horde of rivals for the BMW to fend off (see a list of alternative cars below).

Despite this, BMW is confident this fourth-generation version will “once again set the standard” in the class. It’s certainly bigger than any X5 that’s come before, and the new gadgetry available makes it the most technologically advanced version to date as well.

What engines are available for the BMW X5?

At the time of writing, whether you want petrol or diesel power, all engines come with six cylinders. The most powerful M50d model packs a 394bhp diesel but the majority of X5 owners will likely go for the less potent but more affordable xDrive30d, with its 261bhp diesel.

Despite the difference in power, though, the two diesel X5s aren’t too dissimilar in terms of fuel economy. Under the new, tougher WLTP tests, the xDrive30d is rated at 34mpg to 37.7mpg whereas the M50d can return between 32.5mpg and 33.6mpg.

Petrol buyers have an easy job when specifying their car, as there’s only one engine available: a 335bhp unit in the xDrive40i. It should have plenty of power for day-to-day driving, though of course, fuel economy suffers; the 25mpg-27.7mpg figure is quite a bit down on what the diesels can manage.

No matter which engine you choose, the 2019 BMW X5 only comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, while those not going for the range-topping M50d can select from two trim levels: xLine and M Sport.

Will there be a hybrid BMW X5?

A plug-in hybrid “iPerformance” version of the BMW X5 is on the way, says BMW, but it hasn’t been revealed when that will go on sale or for much it will cost. We do know the X5 plug-in hybrid will feature a petrol-electric powertrain with an output of 394bhp — so matching the M50d — and a pure-electric range of approx. 50 miles. Given its performance and economy potential, it could prove popular.

What technology does the BMW X5 have?

As a premium car, the BMW X5 comes packed with high end equipment. All models get adaptive air suspension, heated front seats, a parking assist that can help you fit the car into tighter spots, hand gesture controls for the infotainment systems and built-in sat-nav with real-time traffic update functionalities.

Quite a few options are available for the X5, too, including laser headlights, head-up display, a key with a touchscreen that allows you control some of the car’s functions (such as the height of the air suspension), rear-seat touchscreen entertainment, a Bowers & Wilkins stereo, four-zone climate control and an offroading pack.

Weirdly, while Apple CarPlay connectivity is standard kit on the new X5, Android Auto is conspicuously absent from the standard and optional equipment lists. Maybe BMW doesn’t think users of Samsung, Huawei, Sony, LG, Google, etc. smartphones are worthy of its cars.

How much does the 2019 BMW X5 cost?

Prices for the xDrive30d start at £47,495, with the xDrive40i costing from £58,885. The range-topping M50d begins at £71,475. Prices for the plug-in hybrid X5 iPerformance are yet to be announced, at the time of writing.

What are the BMW X5’s rivals?

If you’re shopping around for a premium SUV, you’ll have plenty of options to compare the BMW X5 with. Rivals to the BMW include the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg, Range Rover Velar, Land Rover Discovery, Mercedes GLE and Volvo XC90.

 

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The best cars launching in 2019

The post 2019 BMW X5: video review, prices, engines and specs appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/news/new-cars/2019-bmw-x5-video-review-prices-engines-specs/