BMW to Roll Out X5 Diesel Hybrid at Geneva Motor Show

GENEVA – BMW will unveil its new diesel-hybrid-powered, seven-seat X5 Vision concept at the upcoming Geneva motor show, according to the Web site www.autoweek.com. It’s the latest installment in BMW’s Efficient Dynamics program, which highlights the reduction in consumption and CO2 emissions expected when all of BMW’s future driveline, electrical, and aerodynamic developments are brought together in one vehicle.

BMW said the X5 Vision gets 36.2 mpg and produces 172 g/km of CO2. The X5 Vision carries an advanced hybrid drivetrain that BMW is already testing in various prototypes on German roads. It plans to introduce the powertrain in upcoming models, such as the new X6 and the 5 Series-based Progressive Activity Sedan.

The X5 Vision’s powertrain is different from the full hybrid system unveiled on the X6 ActiveHybrid at last year’s Frankfurt show. The X5 Vision’s powertrain is a mild hybrid with a diesel engine supplemented by an electric motor. At the heart of the powertrain is BMW’s latest twin-turbocharged, 2.0L, four-cylinder, common-rail diesel engine — used in the European-market 123d. The hybrid system uses regenerative braking to feed electricity to a lithium-ion battery pack stored underneath the cargo floor.

The X5 Vision is equipped with all-wheel drive. It uses an eight-speed automatic transmission — with the generator and electric motor management incorporated into the housing — engineered with ZF.

In addition to the conventional 12-volt system, the X5 Vision also uses a 120-volt arrangement. BMW says the two systems, which operate in parallel, help provide a more stable network than the traditional 12-volt system alone, allowing high-power systems to draw electricity more rapidly.

The X5 Vision also has a large solar panel on its roof. It produces electricity and sends it to the battery, where it is then used to preheat the engine oil, while providing an immediate source of power for the air-conditioning, cool-box, entertainment, and other systems when the car is stationary.