- The next-generation BMW X5 has been spotted
- The 2026 BMW X5 will arrive late in 2025 or early in 2026
- Expect updated gas powertrains, with a plug-in variant
The next-generation 2026 BMW X5 has been caught testing on public roads in Europe.
The design will be distinctly different than today's SUV. Despite being seen in early prototype form, heavily clad in camouflage, it's clear the new X5 will feature a design previewed by the Neue Klasse concepts. A Vision Neue Klass sedan concept first previewed the upcoming design language in 2023, and it was followed by an SUV dubbed the Vision Neue Klasse X concept in 2024.
2026 BMW X6 spy shots - Photo credit: Baldauf
The new design language will keep the iconic kidney grilles, which have grown larger and larger in recent years. This design will update them to be sleeker, thinner, and more horizontal in design. The slimmer headlights, combined with the grille, accentuate the X5's width. The camo-covered grilles appear to be solid–and may be hiding sensors for safety systems–with all air feeding the gas engine coming from the middle and lower portions of the bumper. The rear taillights, even in their early prototype stage, seem to bleed into the rear fenders in a similar fashion as what first started with the XM crossover SUV.
2026 BMW X6 spy shots - Photo credit: Baldauf
The entire design is cleaner and less fussy than current BMWs, which was a focus of the Neue Klasse language. The doors are completely smooth with no standard door handles or openings for the hand. There's a small piece that looks like a small wing that may be a door opener mounted along the window line by the B- and C-pillars.
2026 BMW X6 spy shots - Photo credit: Baldauf
The X5 has always featured a split tailgate and it appears there's a line in the rear hatch that could continue this design trait. The rear hatch has a steeper rake than today's X5 that may, or may not, cut into cargo room.
The next-gen X5 will continue to offer gas engines under the hood. The prototypes' exhaust tips and mufflers can be seen peeking out from under the rear bumper area. Turbo-4, turbo-6, plug-in hybrid, V-8, and high-performance variants are all likely to appear. Each of the powertrains is expected to be updated versions of what's offered in today's X5 as BMW is no longer developing clean-sheet gas engines. BMW doesn't even build engines in Germany anymore as it prepares for the electric future.
