New York 2014: BMW X5 eDrive concept unveiled

BMW has unveiled the updated Concept X5 eDrive, ahead of its debut at the upcoming New York show. While at first glance, the update looks identical to the concept shown at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show, BMW says the X5 has undergone a “series of detailed refinement”.

This model boasts a Silverflake metallic exterior with BMW iBlue accents. It also gets new roof rails and 21-inch alloys. On the inside, there's white leather upholstery, piano black trim, blue accents and eDrive embossed on the headrests. And there's blue contrast stitching to complement blue ambient lighting. The high-voltage battery is stowed beneath the luggage compartment and has a transparent cover.

Power comes from a hybrid powertrain – an alliance of a 241.6bhp twin-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, a 70 kW (93.7bhp) electric motor and a lithium-ion battery. The carmaker claims a 0-100kph sprint time of under 7seconds. On pure electric power, the BMW X5 eDrive can reach speeds of up to 120 kph and has a range of 30km.

The X5 eDrive gets BMW Driving Experience Control switch which enables driving in three different modes – Auto eDrive (which balances performance and efficiency), Max eDrive (pure EV mode) and Save (which keeps the battery charged for use later).

BMW has not said anything about production plans for this vehicle, but sources had reported the carmaker is likely to manufacture an X5 plug-in hybrid at its Spartanburg plant in the "near future".