The latest BMW X5 has barely arrived, but BMW is already giving buyers plenty of ways to make its luxury SUV look considerably more aggressive. A new selection of M Performance accessories includes wheels measuring up to 23 inches, aerodynamic upgrades, spoilers, and even new cargo solutions designed for long-distance travel.
The New X5 Is Barely Here, and BMW Is Already Customizing It
The latest-generation BMW X5 is still fresh enough that its international media drives are only beginning to take place, but BMW isn’t wasting any time expanding the SUV’s personalization options.
The company has revealed a broad range of M Performance Parts designed specifically for the new X5, allowing owners to give the SUV a much sportier appearance without turning to aftermarket tuning companies.
And while the M Performance name might immediately suggest additional horsepower, many of these upgrades are focused primarily on styling, aerodynamics, and functionality rather than major changes under the hood.
BMW Offers Wheels Up to 23 Inches
Few modifications change the appearance of an SUV as dramatically as its wheels, and BMW certainly hasn’t held back here.
The new X5 can be equipped with complete summer and winter wheel-and-tire packages ranging from 21 to an enormous 23 inches.
One of the most striking options is the 23-inch Y-spoke 1110 M Bicolor M Performance wheel. Finished in Jet Black with contrasting machined surfaces, the design gives the X5 a much more imposing appearance than a conventional factory setup.
Twenty-three-inch wheels are obviously not about subtlety. They’re intended for X5 buyers who want their SUV to stand out, particularly when combined with the rest of the M Performance exterior package.
M Performance Upgrades Go Far Beyond the Wheels
BMW’s customization program also includes several aerodynamic components.
The front of the X5 can be fitted with additional M Performance elements that visually lower and sharpen the SUV’s appearance. These parts are designed to complement the factory bodywork rather than make the vehicle look like a heavily modified aftermarket build.
Changes are available at the rear as well.
An M Performance roof spoiler can be installed, while additional aerodynamic elements around the rear diffuser further emphasize the SUV’s performance-oriented character.
Combined with the oversized wheels, these additions can transform the appearance of the X5 without requiring owners to modify the basic design of the vehicle.
Factory Customization Has an Obvious Advantage
That’s one of the main attractions of BMW’s M Performance Parts program.
Instead of buying third-party components and hoping they’ll fit properly or complement the original styling, owners can select accessories engineered specifically for the vehicle.
For buyers spending luxury-SUV money, maintaining a factory appearance can be just as important as making the vehicle more distinctive.
M Performance Parts effectively provide a middle ground. The X5 can look considerably more aggressive without becoming an obviously aftermarket-tuned SUV.
BMW Hasn’t Forgotten What the X5 Is Really Good At
Interestingly, BMW’s expanded accessory lineup isn’t limited to cosmetic upgrades.
The X5 has always been designed as a long-distance luxury SUV, and BMW is supporting that role with a new generation of Aero roof boxes.
Three capacities are available: 350, 450, and 550 liters.
According to BMW, the latest boxes offer 30 liters more cargo capacity than their predecessors while also delivering improved aerodynamic efficiency.
That matters more than it might initially seem. Roof-mounted cargo boxes increase aerodynamic drag and can negatively affect fuel economy or electric driving range, depending on the vehicle. They can also generate additional wind noise at highway speeds.
A more aerodynamically efficient design can help reduce those compromises.
BMW Even Designed Luggage Specifically for the Roof Boxes
BMW has taken the cargo concept a step further by offering matching travel bags designed to make better use of the available space inside the roof boxes.
Anyone who has tried packing several conventionally shaped suitcases into a roof carrier knows how much usable volume can be lost simply because the luggage doesn’t fit the shape of the box particularly well.
BMW’s dedicated bags are intended to solve that problem, providing a more organized approach to long-distance travel.
It might not be as exciting as a set of 23-inch M Performance wheels, but for owners who regularly take road trips, it could ultimately prove to be one of the more useful accessories.
There’s Also a 300-Liter Rear Cargo Box
Another interesting option is BMW’s 300-liter rear cargo box.
Rather than sitting on the roof, this storage solution attaches to the vehicle’s bicycle carrier system and positions the additional cargo capacity behind the X5.
There are some obvious practical advantages.
Heavy luggage doesn’t have to be lifted onto the roof, loading and unloading should be considerably easier, and keeping cargo behind the vehicle rather than on top can avoid some of the aerodynamic penalties associated with conventional roof boxes.
The 300-liter unit can accommodate two BMW Flex transport box travel bags.
Those bags are made from ballistic polyester and feature nubuck leather accents, adding the kind of premium detailing buyers might expect from a BMW-branded travel accessory.
One SUV, Several Very Different Personalities
The accessory catalog illustrates the unusually broad role the X5 continues to play within BMW’s lineup.
It has to function as a premium family SUV, a comfortable highway cruiser, a practical long-distance vehicle, and — depending on the specification — something that can look surprisingly close to a performance SUV.
The new M Performance Parts allow owners to decide which side of the X5’s personality they want to emphasize.
A relatively restrained configuration can preserve the X5’s traditional luxury-SUV appearance. Add the 23-inch wheels, aerodynamic components, rear diffuser upgrades, and roof spoiler, however, and the same vehicle can take on a significantly more aggressive character.
And it can all be done using factory-developed BMW components.
The X5 Remains Especially Important in America
The X5 has particular significance for the U.S. market.
BMW builds the X5 at its massive manufacturing operation in Spartanburg, South Carolina, alongside several other members of the company’s X-model family.
That American manufacturing connection has helped make the X5 an especially important model for BMW in North America, while Spartanburg has evolved into one of the company’s most significant production locations globally.
The newest X5 therefore arrives with considerable expectations.
Its rapidly expanding catalog of M Performance Parts suggests BMW also recognizes how important personalization has become in the premium SUV market.
For buyers who think a standard X5 is simply too understated, BMW already has an answer — and apparently, that answer can include 23-inch wheels.
