FIRST LOOK: 2020 G05 BMW X5 xDrive45e PHEV in Malaysia – 3.0L turbo; 77 km EV range; from RM441k - Latest Car News, Bike news & Reviews, Auto News

BMW Malaysia recently launched the new G05 BMW X5 xDrive45e, which is the plug-in hybrid version of the fourth-generation X5, taking over from the outgoing (and rather popular) F15 xDrive40e. If you would like a video tour of the xDrive45e, our very own Jonathan Lee was on hand to take you around the new BMW PHEV model.

Pricing-wise, the xDrive45e benefits from EEV incentives for locally-assembled electrified vehicles, retailing at RM440,745 on-the-road without insurance and the sales and service tax (RM448,800 with SST). This makes it is RM58,000 more expensive than its predecessor, but it still represents a RM170,000 saving over the non-PHEV xDrive40i, which has since been discontinued.

The biggest change is under the bonnet, as the old N20 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been replaced with a B58 3.0 litre straight-six, here detuned slightly compared to the one in the xDrive40i. The mill makes 286 PS from 5,000 to 6,000 rpm and 450 Nm from 1,500 to 3,500 rpm, representing a 54 PS drop, but with the same amount of torque.

Sandwiched between the standard ZF eight-speed automatic transmission is a 113 PS/265 Nm electric motor that brings the total system output to 394 PS and 600 Nm. With an 81 PS and 150 Nm advantage over its predecessor, the all-wheel-drive xDrive45e gets from zero to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds (more than a second quicker) and will hit a top speed of 235 km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at just 2.5 litres per 100 km/h on the NEDC combined cycle.

A higher-capacity lithium-ion battery with 24 kWh is also new, but robs 150 litres of boot space for a total of 500 litres, which is still plenty. However, the larger battery does allow for an EV range of up to 77 km, up from just 30 km before. It does longer to charge the SUV with a Type 2 connection, at six hours and 50 minutes with a BMW i Wallbox (with a 3.7 kW output) and 10 hours and 30 minutes using the supplied charger and a three-pin, 240-volt domestic socket.

Some of the standard equipment includes adaptive LED headlamps, M Sport brakes with blue callipers, 20-inch star-spoke Style 740 M two-tone alloy wheels, the BMW Live Cockpit Professional infotainment system, a 14-speaker, 464-watt Harman Kardon sound system, all-around air suspension and the Driving Assistant package.

A five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, a five-year free service package and a two-year tyre warranty is also included, and there’s an eight-year/160,000 km plug-in hybrid battery warranty that improves upon the the previous six-year/100,000 km warranty. For details specs of the xDrive45e, head on over to CarBase.my.

GALLERY: G05 BMW X5 xDrive45e in Malaysia