BMW offers a wide array of special paints through its Individual catalog but there’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple by choosing black. Available going forward strictly as a Competition model, the BMW X5 M is finished here in Black Sapphire Metallic, a no-cost paint option in the United States for the 2024 model year. This fine example gets 21-inch front and 22-inch rear wheels with an M Star-spoke design and a two-tone finish.
The only splash of color is provided by the brakes with their optional $650 red calipers as opposed to the standard blue. You can also have them in black for a true murdered-out look. With this being a 2024MY X5 M Competition, it has the redesigned kidney grille with horizontal slats flanked by slimmer headlights with arrow-shaped turn signals pointing outward. At the back, the updated LED graphics of the taillights now feature an “X” motif.
The monochrome look continues inside where the high-performance SUV has a predominantly dark cabin with full Merino leather in black – a $3,500 option in the US. Aside from the obvious switch to iDrive 8 that has eliminated most physical controls, the mid-cycle update has brought an illuminated graphic on the passenger side of the dashboard where an “M” logo now calls home. You’ll also find it on the X5 M60i whereas the lesser versions have an “X” instead.
One of the images provides a look underneath the hood where the newly developed S68 calls home. It has a unique engine cover with prominent “M Power” lettering and an M badge, along with red accents denoting it’s an eight-cylinder mill. This is still a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 making 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet (750 Newton-meters) of torque but it uses a mild-hybrid setup (48V) for better efficiency. The ICE works with a small electric motor built into the eight-speed automatic transmission, providing a temporary boost of 12 hp and 147 lb-ft (200 Nm).
At $122,300 before options, the X5 M Competition is not cheap, but it still undercuts the XM by nearly $37,000 and should prove to be the faster of the two thanks to a much lower curb weight despite being down on power. Oh, and we’d argue it doesn’t look nearly as controversial as the plug-in hybrid SUV.
[Photos by instagram.com/lucasjohnsonvisuals and instagram.com/autohausbmw]
