Reports say that BMW will not be discussing anything about electric cars in the upcoming Paris Motor Show. However, they still have current offerings in the field of plug-in hybrids that automotive journalists are still testing out. This video review of the BMW X5 xDrive40e from MotorWeek puts it up for a road test, and finds out if it meets their expectations:
Not everything was negative though. MotorWeek was impressed with the acceleration of the car and its performance on a straight-line. It is surprising, for its size, to perform that good. Thanks to its 2-liter 4-cylinder engine. With the help of the electric motor, the total power output is 313 PS (308 hp) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque. If relying electricity alone, the 9.2 kWh battery is only capable of up to 14 miles of cruising. BMW thinks this is a good number for daily driving.
The downsides were the brakes that don’t offer much feel and the lacking steering feedback. The good side is that most customers going for this particular model will be less interested in those particular functions.