BMW iX5 to Pack a 144kWh Battery: India Should Wait for the X5 Diesel
BMW has confirmed that the upcoming iX5, the first all-electric X5, will carry the brand's largest battery pack to date. Built on the CLAR platform with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup, the iX5 leads the fifth-generation (G65) X5 family, with the ICE, hydrogen and PHEV variants following in 2028.
What was announced
BMW has revealed that the fifth-generation (G65) X5 will debut as the all-electric iX5, likely in early 2027. The fifth-gen platform has entered its final testing stage at BMW's Spartanburg plant in the US. Hydrogen, petrol, diesel and plug-in-hybrid versions of the new X5 will follow in 2028, giving the nameplate its widest powertrain spread yet.
A 144kWh electric X5 is a headline car for the US and Europe; in India, the 2028 diesel G65 is the one to wait for.
The iX5 will use a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup on the CLAR platform, with battery capacity varying by market. BMW says this is the largest pack ever fitted to one of its EVs, comfortably above the iX3's 112kWh unit and the current iX's 105.2kWh battery.
| Model | Market | Usable battery |
|---|---|---|
| iX5 | United States | 144kWh |
| iX5 | Europe | 141kWh |
| iX3 | Global | 112kWh |
| iX | Global | 105.2kWh |
India-specific battery and pricing details have not been confirmed. Detailed power, range and charging figures are yet to be disclosed by BMW.
The Car Jury verdict
For India, this is a headline that matters less than it sounds. The X5 sells here as an aspirational diesel-led luxury SUV, and BMW's own product cadence puts the petrol, diesel and PHEV G65 a full year behind the iX5. Indian buyers shopping the segment today should look at the current X5 (BUY) or the smaller X3 (BUY), both of which we rate strongly.
Rachit Hirani of MotorOctane notes that "the iX1 has been a huge success and the same story can happen with the iX3", and he is right about where BMW's EV volume actually lives in India: smaller, cheaper, urban. A 144kWh, two-tonne-plus electric X5 lands in a market with patchy 150kW-plus charging and CBU duty walls. Wait for the diesel G65 in 2028; skip the iX5 unless you have home DC charging and a second car.
