Is the BMW X5 an SUV? BMW purists will say no, but from a strictly autobody point of view, the opposite is obviously true.
From the moment it was introduced in 1999, BMW has touted the X5, by way of press releases, not as an "SUV" but as an "SAV": a Sport Activity Vehicle.
Buyers of a vehicle currently starting at over $60,000 undoubtedly don't want their new toy to be equated with a lowly Suburban. Mercedes-Benz went to the same lengths two years earlier when it launched its M-Class, dubbing it an AAV, or All-Activity Vehicle, right from the start.
Beyond this semantic struggle designed to preserve brand image, the X5 remains an SUV: a rangy hatchback designed to get passengers and cargo from A to B, over rough terrain if need be. The X5 can even accomplish this at very high speeds and in complete luxury and the relative comfort of a sports car.
An X5 at scout camp!
Consumers have adopted this image. That's what I noticed when I arrived at my scouting unit's winter camp behind the wheel of a shiny new X5 4.8i.
The vehicle was bursting with snowshoes, crates of food and various bags. Parked in front of our cabin, it caught the eye of all parents present, who couldn't help but remark on the generous "salary" of scout leaders. As for my teammates, they did everything humanly possible to keep it from being damaged, as if it were a precious jewel. None of the other vehicles parked beside it got the same treatment, however. For a brief moment, I felt like the leader of a Beverly Hills scouting unit!
The X5 definitely has an certain aura about it. Its imposing profile and blue and white emblem piques the interest and draws admiring glances. And not because there are a lot of them out there. In 2007, barely more than 4000 X5s were sold across Canada. Which still places it ahead of its German alter ego, the M-Class: it's ranked 3rd out of around 15 models in the luxury SUV category.
From the moment it was introduced in 1999, BMW has touted the X5, by way of press releases, not as an "SUV" but as an "SAV": a Sport Activity Vehicle.
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| The X5 is luxurious and offers the relative comfort of a sports car. |
Buyers of a vehicle currently starting at over $60,000 undoubtedly don't want their new toy to be equated with a lowly Suburban. Mercedes-Benz went to the same lengths two years earlier when it launched its M-Class, dubbing it an AAV, or All-Activity Vehicle, right from the start.
Beyond this semantic struggle designed to preserve brand image, the X5 remains an SUV: a rangy hatchback designed to get passengers and cargo from A to B, over rough terrain if need be. The X5 can even accomplish this at very high speeds and in complete luxury and the relative comfort of a sports car.
An X5 at scout camp!
Consumers have adopted this image. That's what I noticed when I arrived at my scouting unit's winter camp behind the wheel of a shiny new X5 4.8i.
The vehicle was bursting with snowshoes, crates of food and various bags. Parked in front of our cabin, it caught the eye of all parents present, who couldn't help but remark on the generous "salary" of scout leaders. As for my teammates, they did everything humanly possible to keep it from being damaged, as if it were a precious jewel. None of the other vehicles parked beside it got the same treatment, however. For a brief moment, I felt like the leader of a Beverly Hills scouting unit!
The X5 definitely has an certain aura about it. Its imposing profile and blue and white emblem piques the interest and draws admiring glances. And not because there are a lot of them out there. In 2007, barely more than 4000 X5s were sold across Canada. Which still places it ahead of its German alter ego, the M-Class: it's ranked 3rd out of around 15 models in the luxury SUV category.
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| Its imposing profile and blue and white emblem piques the interest and draws admiring glances. |