Although the latest BMW grilles have been front and centre in the media, we should also be reminded that Munich still has vehicles with right-sized grilles. What might look out of proportion on a smaller vehicle actually looks appropriate on the new BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport.

Here, the grilles no longer hide the whole vehicle. Instead, behind the vertical louvres is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine assisted by an electric motor to produce a combined 394hp and 600Nm. All systems go, the X5 can get from zero to hero in 5.6 seconds, and up to a top speed of 235kph.

On the ‘greener’ side of the fence, the X5 can drive up to 77km on a full charge and with speeds up to 135kph. Having said that, the SUV can only achieve one or the other and not both at the same time. As such, BMW claims that the X5 does 2.5l/100km and farts out only 56g/km CO2.

Driving power into the 20-inch M Sport light-alloy wheels with Star Spoke style 740 M Bicolour, stopped only by the signature M sport brakes, is a revised eight-speed automatic. The SUV’s dynamic ability and comfort is up-rated with the inclusion of the 2-axle air suspension on the front and rear axles.

Open the doors to find upholstery wrapped in Leather Vernasca. The interior is also outfitted with an M leather steering wheel, Sport front seats with memory function for the driver’s seat, four-zone automatic air-conditioning and an instrument panel in Sensatec. A 464W 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system should drown out any unwanted noises from unwelcome passengers.

You’ll find the new BMW Live Cockpit Professional with Gesture Control and Intelligent Personal Assistant inside the new X5. The Live Cockpit Pro puts together the 12.3-inch fully digital instrument display with an equally-sized touchscreen Control Display. People at the back get their own 10.2-inch touchscreen monitor with the Rear Sear Entertainment Professional. Wireless charging docks are also found within.

No premium vehicle is complete without the bucket of driver-assist systems, and the new X5 comes with a slew of gadgets that keep you on the road. With the BMW Personal CoPilot, the X5 has Lane Departure Warning, Lane Changing Warning, Frontal Collision Warning with braking intervention, Rear Crossing Traffic Warning and Rear Collision Prevention.

Intelligent Parking Assistant Plus, Surround View Camera and Reversing Assistant will do all they can to help you park like a considerate driver. The system does that by taking over the wheel whether you going into or out of the parking spot. Additionally, the Reverse Assistant records the last 50 metres of the drive of speeds up to 35kph.

What else? The X5 comes with Intelligent Emergency Call, Teleservices and eDrive services. The BMW Display Key, which displays the vehicle’s status and essential information, also allows you to turn on the air-conditioning before entry. The BMW Display Key is not to be confused with the BMW Digital Key that gives you keyless access through selected NFC-enabled Android smartphones.

And because we’ve begun to live in a contactless world, the Comfort Access 2.0 lets you lock and unlock the car without touching or grabbing the door handles. Sensors will detect your key up to one metre away before opening. On the flip side, the X5 will lock itself when the key is about two metres away.

The exterior of the X5 xDrive45e M Sport can be upgraded to have BMW M Performance Genuine Parts and Accessories. The kit comes with front air inlet, exterior mirror cap, front and rear winglets and the rear diffuser in Carbon Fibre. Stickers for the sides and films for the size skirt are finished in Frozen Black to match the wheels in Star Spoke Jet Black Matte.

It is also good to point out that the X5 comes with a 5-year Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service Programme, an 8-year/160,000km battery warranty and a 2-year/24-month tyre warranty programme for its Run Flat tyres.

BMW Malaysia is asking RM440,745.00 for the new X5. Naturally, it is available with balloon financing that locks you in with a payment plan starting from RM5,028.00. With the prices comes an entire world of benefits enjoyed by current BMW owners — something that we can only imagine.