2028 BMW X5 M Rendering: A Sharper, Bolder V8 SUV Revealed

Imagine a satin-red X5, planted lower on the road, brake calipers flashing through Y‑shaped alloys and a grille that looks like it belongs to a different, fiercer lineage. That’s the first impression from the latest set of renderings for BMW’s next X5 M — a car that promises to make the standard X5 look conservative by comparison.

A bolder face, but not everyone will agree

The artist’s vision leans heavily on BMW’s M Neue Klasse concept, borrowing cues that clean up some of the sharper, more controversial details of the new generation X5. The grille here is more traditional, the front bumper simplified, with twin vents split by a pronounced vertical slat and small auxiliary lights tucked into the corners. The X-shaped daytime running lights remain, but they’re surrounded by a front end that reads less aggressive in a literal way and more purposeful in character.

At the rear, the imagined X5 M swaps the pedestrian-friendlier tail for a restyled bumper, new reflectors and a chunky diffuser pierced by four exhaust outlets. It’s a familiar M playbook: widen, lower, and give the exhausts something to breathe through. Visual contrast is handled with black trim details that temper the satin red paintwork rather than overpower it.

Renderings are not blueprints, and the designer admits as much. Still, they smooth out tensions in the production X5’s styling and offer a glimpse of how BMW might sharpen the model’s sporting credentials without losing its family-car poise.

Under the hood the picture gets more concrete, or at least louder. The so-called X5 M60 — the athletic sibling that follows the M60i — is expected to carry a twin‑turbo 4.4‑liter V8. Rumor has it this iteration will be naturally aspirated of electrification in the drivetrain, and whispers put output closer to 600 horsepower, up from roughly 523 in the outgoing M60i. That’s a meaningful jump.

And yes, a true BMW X5 M is still coming — the halo variant aimed at the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 and other super crossover rivals. It will be the aggressive counterpoint to the M60, designed to make the rest of the range look, well, restrained.

Some speculation even suggests BMW could borrow a hybridized V8 system similar to the one used in the M5, which combines internal combustion with electric assistance for outputs around the 700‑plus horsepower mark. If the X5 gains that setup, performance will be impressive on paper; reality will be tempered by greater mass and SUV geometry.

So which side are you on? The rendered X5 M aims for elegance with teeth. Or do you prefer the raw presence of the previous generation? Either way, BMW’s new mid‑size M crossover appears set to stir the pot — and that’s exactly what performance SUVs are supposed to do.