BMW has taken the covers off the facelifted and mechanically upgraded 2023 versions of its high-performance X5 M and X6 M SUVs.
The pair have seen some light restyling work inside and out, but it's under the bonnet where the most substantial work on the two mechanically-identical cars has taken place. That's where you'll find the addition of 48-volt mild-hybrid power and an improved automatic gearbox.
Engine upgrades
Under the bonnets of both SUVs sits, as before, a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine, but this time with the additional assistance of a crankshaft-mounted starter-generator. This small electric motor boosts overall power and torque by 12hp and 199Nm respectively, contributing to the powertrain's maximum outputs of 625hp and 750Nm of torque and making it the first mild-hybrid to which BMW's performance M division has turned its hand.
Although that hybrid assistance is the biggest mechanical change to the X5 M and X6 M ranges, it's not the only one. The crankshaft has been strengthened to deal with the additional torque of the hybrid system, the turbocharging system and intake ducting have been tweaked, there's a new oil pump and a lightweight plastic sump designed in such a way as to ensure that the engine is never starved of oil under heavy acceleration and braking.
Reworked gearbox
After the hybrid assistance though, the second-most substantial change is the reworked eight-speed Steptronic automatic gearbox, which now features shorter ratios in the first three gears to improve acceleration as well as a wider ratio spread in higher gears to enable greater higher-speed efficiency. The characteristics of the gearbox and its shifts can be altered from the cabin by use of the Drivelogic button, meaning drivers can choose between settings ranging from comfort and economy-focused to "extremely dynamic".
Sharper chassis
Power in the X5 M and X6 M is sent to all four wheels (21-inch at the front, 22-inch at the rear), though the xDrive all-wheel-drive system biases the torque delivery towards the rear. Ensuring that neither SUV loses traction under cornering is an active differential feeding out the torque to whichever of the rear wheels needs it the most at any given time, while electronically-controlled dampers and a stiff chassis (thanks, in part to very firm, hydraulically-damped engine and transmission mounts) keep body lean to a minimum and are claimed to make turn-in feel a lot more direct.
Helping to bring both of these steroidal 2.4-tonne SUVs to a quick halt are six-pot brake callipers and 395mm discs at the front, with slightly smaller discs and single-piston callipers to the rear.
Styling tweaks
The styling of both X5 M and X6 M models hasn't changed dramatically when compared to the outgoing versions. The biggest tweaks come at the front-ends of both cars with slimmer LED matrix headlights and a revised grille that has been visually integrated with the lower front air intake to form one single expanse of black. The removal of additional mesh behind the grille gives it a more wide-open look, improving airflow to the engine bay slightly.
There's little new at the rear, with scarcely more than the addition of a pair of fibre-optic L-shaped lights seen elsewhere in the BMW line-up, with the fibre cables forming a little "X" shape at the centre of both units.
Curved Display
The X5 M and X6 M have at last seen the arrival of the BMW Curved Display dashboard interface featuring a slick 12.3-inch instrument cluster and 14.9-inch infotainment screen arrangement forming one curved and ergonomic unit running the latest BMW Operating System 8.
A full leather interior comes as standard in the X5 M and X6 M, with a few M-specific details such as the multi-function steering wheel and carbon-fibre gearshift paddles behind the wheel marking them out from non-M models. There's the option too of carbon-fibre interior trim in place of standard woodgrain finishes.
Boot space in the X5 M comes in at a decent 650 litres with the rear seats in place and a massive 1,870 litres with the seats folded down. The X6 M has corresponding figures of 580 and 1,530 litres, respectively, thanks to its sloping rear roofline, and if towing is a concern, an electronically-folding trailer hitch is an option on both models.
Irish pricing
BMW Ireland has confirmed that the order book is now open for the M twins, with first deliveries this summer. Pricing for the X5 M Competition starts at €229,045, while the X6 M Competition is €234,035.