Even though not officially confirmed, sources close to BMW place the new X5 Facelift version in the showroom at the Detroit Auto Show next month which means that official photos are just days away. In the mean time, Palbay, returns with some new spy photos of the X5 LCI.
While the photos give us the same front-end as seen in previous shots, the most interesting piece of news could come from the lower part of the front-end, in the right side air intake, where we believe we’re looking at a turbo intercooler.
Now we don’t want to jump in a speculative game, but this could indeed give us the first clue that a twin turbo engine will be powering the facelifted X5 and our bets are on the six-cylinder powerplant. The second clue might come from the rear-end of this test mule where again for the first time, we are seeing the round twin exhaust seen on the 335i model as well.
Here is a comparison photo with the X6 xDrive35i:
As we mentioned several times before, at the rear-end, the 2010 BMW X5 facelift model will receive LED taillights. Looking at these spy photos, we can also see the turn signal moving from the bottom corner up to the top corner. The hatch/tailgate combo will remain the same as in the current model, not a single lift hatch as some expected.
The front-end is where the most action will happen. The X6-style headlights will replace the current ones and a new set of signal indicators similar to the ones found on the 3 Series Sedan facelifted model. A more aggressive front-bumper will be available as well.
Inside, the one upgrade that will satisfy many BMW owners is the new generation iDrive which features the hard drive based navigation system, a revised iDrive knob controller and a larger, crisper LCD screen.
The 2010 BMW X5 LCI will be available in the U.S. in March-April 2010.
Author: Horatiu B.
Source: http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/12/07/spy-p ... gine-also/