We attended this past weekend’s Amelia Concours d’Elegance to discover BMW’s latest updates to the vast “X” lineup. Both the X5 and X6 have received a Life Cycle Impulse for the 2024 model year, bringing significant changes inside and out. The two vehicles Horatiu was given the opportunity to shoot come to replace the old plug-in hybrid and M Performance derivatives.
We’re talking about the X5 xDrive50e and X6 M60i, which supersede the xDrive45e and M50i, respectively. As before, you can have both SUVs in M Performance guise, but only the conventionally styled model is offered with a PHEV setup. If you’re wondering about the colors, the X5 in the xLine specification wears an attractive Blue Ridge Mountain paint while the coupe-styled X6 is finished in Atlantis Blue.
With the LCI, BMW has completely redesigned the headlights while moving away from laser to matrix LED technology. The new clusters are considerably slimmer and incorporate a pair of arrow-shaped daytime running lights pointing toward the exterior. A slightly more slanted grille is installed, and on the M60i, you get an M badge to echo the M850i facelift launched about a year ago.
Being only a mid-cycle update, the side profile remains virtually unchanged. However, BMW is offering new paints and alloy wheel designs depending on the version. On the X5 xDrive50e, there’s an “electrified by i” badge mounted below the cap for the charging port on the front-left fender. Speaking of which, the PHEV version comes with the xLine look as standard.
Moving at the back, the X5 boasts revised taillights with an “X” motif while the X6 receives a glossy black tailgate spoiler along with a body-colored diffuser. Much like the M760e launched last year, the M60i gets a quad-pipe exhaust, which will be trickling all the way down later this year to the M135i LCI and X1 M35i.
Inside, the 2024 X5 and X6 share the iDrive 8 with a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display and a 14.9-inch touchscreen housed in a single piece of curved glass. BMW has simplified the center console by removing most conventional controls and also made the central air vents slimmer to fit the larger display. On the passenger side of the dashboard, a new ambient light bar has an “X” on the regular versions or an “M” on the spicy M60i and M flavors.
All variations of the BMW X5 and X6 will go into production next month in Spartanburg. Going forward, the range-topping M will be sold strictly as a Competition model.