It sounds great for a diesel.
The scandal at Volkswagen Group may have put the diesel engine in hot water, but that doesn’t mean all automakers are abandoning it. Although Porsche is saying goodbye to diesel engines, many other automakers are shifting their focus on gasoline-powered powertrains and electrification. But diesel will still be around for a while.
BMW offers a variety of diesel engines. One of them is the powerful inline-six 3.0-liter engine with four turbochargers. The X5 M50d produces 400 horsepower (294 kilowatts), at 4,400 rpm, and a huge 560 pound-feet (776 Newton-meters), of torque at 2,000 rpm. The unit is billed as the “world’s strongest six-cylinder diesel engine in automotive.” It can also be found in the M550d Touring.
Automann TV was able to test the new 2019 X5M50d. They were tempted to put the quad turbos to the test in an acceleration test that took them from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) The diesel beast was put through its paces in Georgia, United States. It ran in the sprint in 5.2 seconds, which is comparable to the official specifications. Although it might sound impressive, we must remember that the luxobarge is well over 2 tons, 2,275 kg (5,015 lb) in weight.
You can buy this quad-turbo machine in Europe, but BMW has not yet decided whether it will offer a diesel-fueled or X5 in America. Alexander Schmuck, BMW Product & Technology Communications manager, informed us earlier this month that a final decision had not yet been made. The 2019 X5 US-spec will come in xDrive 40i or xDrive 50i gasoline versions. A plug-in hybrid will be available in 2020, for the model year 2021. It is likely that the PHEV at issue will be the xDrive45e.