I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to maintain the opinion that the current-gen BMW X5 is still a great looking SUV. In fact, it’s one of the best looking SUVs on the road. Despite the fact that it’s getting old now, it still looks modern and fresh. However, despite it aging, BMW is showing no hesitation in replacing it when its life-cycle is over. Thankfully, this upcoming G05-generation BMW X5 is starting to show some serious design potential. We can see that in the newly surfaced spy photos of the G05 X5. (We don’t own the spy photos but they can be seen here)

In these new photos, the new G05 BMW X5 can be seen wearing heavy camouflage, so it’s really hard to make out its body lines or design features. Though, there are certain important design cues that we can spot, even through the camo. So let’s take a look.

Up front, it’s clear that BMW is continuing the facial theme of the brand-new BMW X3. So the Kidney Grilles are simply massive. In fact, I think I can fit both Kidney Grilles from my old E36 3 Series into one of the grilles on this X5, with room to spare. It’s absurd. It looks kind of cool, though, as it makes the front end seem massive and imposing, albeit a bit cartoonish. The headlights are also better looking than on the current X5. They’re sharper, more angular and less curvy and they look much better. The actual lights inside the housings also look good, with the turn signals features as little eyebrows.

Moving on to the side, we can find another interesting feature. While the front looks promising, this side feature is actually a bit concerning. The Hofmeister Kink is one of BMW’s most iconic design cues, one that’s been around for decades. Yet this BMW X5 seems to ditch it for a much more rounded C-pillar kink. It’s a bit more in keeping with this X5’s more rounded design language but it just doesn’t look right on a BMW.

Out back, there’s so much camo that the only thing we can notice is that it has big rectangular exhaust tips. That might mean that this is the BMW X5 xDrive50i version, with a big V8. Aside from that, it’s pretty covered back there.

All in all, the new X5 looks promising. Aside from the lack of a proper Hofmeister Kink, the new G05 BMW X5 looks like it could be even better looking than the brand-new BMW X3, which we think is the best looking BMW SUV in ages. Maybe ever, actually.

[Source: Auto Express]