BMW will sell long-wheelbase versions of the X5 and the new iX5 exclusively in China, with a wheelbase of 3,165mm, 130mm longer than the X5 sold elsewhere. Launch is set for 2027, and the electric iX5, which uses sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology, claims more than 1,000km of range on the China light-duty vehicle test cycle.

The driver assistance system is the more significant departure. BMW has developed it with the Chinese firm Momenta, using end-to-end AI trained locally, and pairs it with the Heart of Joy central computer for navigation-guided address-to-address assistance. Both cars carry adaptive two-axle air suspension as standard.

The cabin runs BMW Panoramic iDrive on Operating System X, with Panoramic Vision, a free-cut central display and a passenger screen offered on the X5 for the first time. Materials run to slate and glass under a monochromatic colour scheme, lifted by a backlit accent strip drawn from Neue Klasse. Front passenger and rear seating has also been redeveloped.

The next iteration of BMW Theatre Screen adds 8K streaming, gaming and video calling in the rear, aimed squarely at chauffeur-driven buyers. Outside, diagonal light icons, an optional double-X pattern, light strips feeding the kidney Iconic Glow and a redesigned front end mark the car out.

For the first time, BMW will sell a combustion X5 in China alongside a fully electric sibling. That is a hedge in the one market where guessing wrong on powertrain mix would cost the most.

Why this matters:

• Long-wheelbase variants are table stakes in China’s premium SUV segment, not a differentiator.Every major Western luxury OEM now offers extended-wheelbase X models, E-Classes, and equivalents specifically for Chinese buyers; BMW’s 130mm extension and Neue Klasse interior bring it into line with expectations rather than ahead of them.
• The Momenta ADAS partnership is the more strategically meaningful detail.Locally trained end-to-end AI for driver assistance—the same partner BMW is already using in its broader China strategy—is the credible response to the software gap that has consistently disadvantaged European OEMs against domestic brands, and its integration into the iX5 from launch rather than as an afterthought signals a more disciplined localisation approach.
• Mercedes-Benz’s CLA L experience is a live cautionary note.A China-specific long-wheelbase electric sedan developed with a compelling specification (866 km CLTC range, 325 kW charging) sold just 627 units in the first half of 2026 before production was reportedly halted. BMW’s iX5 LWB faces the same structural challenge: Chinese buyers are increasingly choosing domestic brands on software, ecosystem, and price rather than badge or hardware capability, and a longer wheelbase does not address any of those three.