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Just because prices keep climbing, faster than a monkey during a hunting chase, doesn't mean you need to fret. Less is more. Especially now, in today's times, innovation in technology has allowed us to place smaller and more economical engines in the place of larger, gas guzzling options. What does this mean for you and me? Better pricing on cars and fewer visits to the filling station. 

Take this concept and apply it to an iconic SUV, like BMW's X5. It's renowned for a multitude of performance talents and you have a winning formula. 

Large SUV's like the X5 are best-sellers in diesel guise. South Africans, like Europeans, enjoy them for their power frugality. The most popular choice amongst diesel is a 3.0-liter V6 that's turbocharged. All the brands offer one; ranging from good to excellent, but micro is in - nano this and nano that. The 2.0-liter four cylinder turbocharged is the "new black", soon to become the norm and replace the bigger option.

Locally, Merc did it first with their ML250, Volvo followed with their D4 and 5 and Jaguar's F-Pace is also equipped with one. But back to BMW X5 - April saw the arrival 25d xDrive. A 2.0-liter boosted to a handsome 170kW and whopping 500Nm of slapping torque. Consider for a moment that BMW's 30d xDrive, featuring the bigger 3.0-liter motor, only has 20kW for power and 60Nm for slaps of a shove. As you can see, the 25d is powerful. So much so, it'll get you from a standstill to 100km/h in just 7.7 seconds. 

Besides having enough oomph, the X5 is a BMW after all; therefore, it's been designed to be sporty. Dynamic is an accurate description. Steering is light, yet accurate - where you point it is where it'll go. Acceleration is strong. Braking feels reassuring and, at the same time, effortless. The suspension is comfortable, yet firm. Front passengers will enjoy the ride while rear passengers may feel like Rosa Tomatoes being tossed in a summer salad. 

The X5 is big, so it goes without saying that accommodation is good for five adults. Competitively, though, Volvo's XC90 has room for two more, with the third row of seats in the rear. This option can be specified on the X5, at an extra cost, but the XC90's rear-most accommodation is class-leading. 

I took the car on a lengthy run, 120km out of town and back. Speed was set for the majority of the journey at 125km/h. Interestingly, my average fuel consumption over the journey was 7.6-liters. This figure, though not bad, could potentially be even lower with the bigger 30d engine - but I'd have to review one over the same route to confirm that. 

Likes

Looks. 

Quality cabin.

Easy to use infotainment system.

Beautiful engine and gearbox combination. 

Performance. 

Dislikes

Rear seat comfort.

A long list of costly optional extras.

Competition 

Volvo XC90, Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne.

Pricing

X5 xDrive25d SAV - R945 700

X5 xDrive30d A Sport - R1 025 100

X5 xDrive40e SAV - R1 137 000

X5 xDrive40d A Sport - R1 153 100

X5 xDrive50i A Sport - R1 241 500

X5 M50d A Sport - R1 309 500

X5 M A Sport - R1 839 600

Service and warranty 

The BMW X5 comes standard with a 5-year 100 000km maintenance plan as part of its sales price. 

My choice  

X5 xDrive25d SAV - R945 700

www.bmw.co.za