When you’re on the road, nothing is more important than safety. For as often as we drive, fewer places are as dangerous as behind the wheel. According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, approximately 37,000 people are killed in car accidents each year in the United States, and an additional 2.35 million people are left injured or permanently disabled. These figures are far too high, and that’s why many car companies are investing in the research and development of advanced safety features and driver assist technologies. Unfortunately for many consumers, the development of advanced safety features does not necessarily mean that new cars they purchase will have them. Many companies consider these advanced safety features and driver assist technologies to be extra additions to the basic trim, often only making them available in pricy package upgrades. These package upgrades or “available features” can be confusing for families looking to purchase a new or used vehicle The 2019 BMW X5 is changing the game when it comes to safety features and driver assist technologies. It doesn’t include a bunch of new, magical technologies, but it does make all of the advanced safety features and driver assist technologies that would cost extra on any other SUV a standard feature. Here’s what you need to know about the newest in the lineup of BMW SUVs.
Exterior
Overall, the exterior looks pretty much the same as the previous model year. However, it is a bit taller, wider, and longer, giving it more space. Other changes to the exterior are very subtle, including a bigger grille, new headlamps, extra sculpting on the body, and more pronounced wheel arches.
Interior
A lot of changes were made to the car’s interior, especially with regards to infotainment. The infotainment system uses a 12.3-inch touchscreen that is integrated into the dashboard. This system also allows drivers to save their preferred settings to the cloud, accessible from other BMW vehicles.
Enjoy four-zone climate control and a standard glass roof. Currently, the BMW X5 can seat five occupants, but a two-person third row seat is slated to be added later this year. Additionally, both the second and third rows are powered, able to move forward and backward, tilt, and fold flat.
Performance
There are two engine types available for this new BMW SUV. There is the xDrive40i that uses a 3.0L six-cylinder engine that gets up to 355 horsepower and can go from zero to 60 in 5.3 seconds. The other engine option is part of the xDrive50i, which is a 4.4 V8 engine that gets 456 horsepower and can go from zero to 60 in 4.6 seconds. Both engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that is designed to increase fuel economy, and all-wheel drive is standard on the 2019 X5. The maximum gas mileage this SUV can get is an EPA-estimated 56 MPG. Additionally, the new X5 has standard air suspension which can level the vehicle at each wheel, making it perfect for tricky terrains. Plus, you can lower the ride height to make loading the trunk easier.
Safety
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the BMW X5 makes advanced safety features and driver assist technologies standard. BMW’s standard safety system is called Active Driving Assistant and includes all of the safety features that would be extra on another car. These features include forward-collision warning with a pedestrian and cyclist warning, low-speed automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic warning, and rear automatic emergency braking.
Forward collision warning will alert you when the front of the vehicle is too close to another object, including pedestrians and cyclists. If a collision is imminent and you’re driving at low enough speeds, the low-speed automatic emergency brake will apply and lessen the damage or even prevent the crash in the first place. The blind spot warning system will alert you of objects or vehicles in the blind spot, and lane departure warning will alert you if you start to drift. Likewise, rear cross-traffic warning and rear automatic emergency braking will alert you of objects or vehicles in the way while backing out, and the brake will apply if a collision is imminent.
If you want even more safety features, the BMW X5 does have an upgrade package, the Active Driving Assistant Professional, which includes features like traffic jam assist, lane keeping assist, automatic lane change, and emergency stop assistant. The traffic jam assist helps keep you safe during rush hour and allows you extended hands-free time. Lane-keeping assist will help ensure that you stay in your own lane and don’t drift, while automatic lane change will change lanes for you when you put on the blinker. Emergency stop assistant is a new and unusual feature that helps drivers who have become incapacitated or otherwise unable to continue driving due to medical emergencies. Pulling the electric brake switch will allow the X5 to pull over to the side of the road, turn on all the hazard lights, and calls the BMW Assist center for help.
When you’re on the road, nothing is as important as reaching the destination safe and sound. This is especially true if you’re traveling with your family. After all, you want to make sure that your family is protected. Considering how many people are killed or injured in auto accidents every year in the U.S., keeping your family safe in the car is serious business. Other vehicles will promise you advanced safety features and then charge you extra for them. The BMW X5 raises the bar by offering all of those features as a part of the standard trim.
