The last thing you'd expect when visiting KZN's South Coast is snow but there it was, a cold white blanket covering the hills around Kokstad only about 100km inland from Port Shepstone during a recent cold snap.
But hey, when life hands you snow, make snowballs. The Alpine countryside presented not only some cool (sorry!) photo opportunities but also a chance to test the BMW X5's xDrive all-wheel drive system, which has been improved in Bavaria's second-generation SUV.
Actually the X5 is an SAV in BMW-speak, which stands for sport activity vehicle and is probably a more apt description than sport "utility".
It was launched in South Africa in May, 2007.
As it turned out, driving on the snowy road presented barely any tractional challenge to the X5 3.0d. At a medium pace, the car never felt like it was about to lose grip and gave me enough confidence to cruise past all the two-wheel drive cars that were gingerly crawling along.
Later we tried the X5's prowess on a muddy dirt road and the car's traction was just as foolproof. The xDrive responds quickly to any change in surface grip by instantly varying power distribution between the front and rear wheels as needed.
It's aided by an alphabet soup of stay-on-the-road technology that includes dynamic stability control, automatic stability control and anti-lock brakes with dynamic brake control (maximises brake pressure) and cornering brake control (prevents the vehicle oversteering when braking in a bend).
There's hill descent control, too, for those rare occasions when you might do some real off-roading.
All this high-tech works unobtrusively. You're simply aware that, on a slippery road, you're sliding around a lot less than you might.
We've ticked off "terrific traction" on the X5's list of talents but can also mark handling, braking and ride quality - the reborn X5 performs them all admirably.
The new Bavarian off-roader is larger than its predecessor - the cabin has 4cm more rear legroom and the boot is larger - but the upsize hasn't affected its trademark driving dynamics.
The new X5 is about the same weight as its predecessor but is more torsionally rigid and that improves refinement and handling. The suspension's new, too, as is a variable steering system that sharpens up during cornering. Active steering, as found in some Beemer sedans, is for the first time an option in the X5.
Run-flats standard
The big Beemer changes direction with good agility for its size, it steering nicely weighted and not as vague as that of most SUV's. Hard cornering doesn't expose too much body roll and the springs are firm enough to prevent a wallowy feel. However, our test vehicle came with a new adaptive drive system, a R34 300 option that varies shock-absorber stiffness to limit body roll; I'd still like to see how the X5 handles without it.
The Beemer comes standard with run-flat tyres - the first SUV (SAV) to do so - and can be driven at up to 150km at not more than 80km/h after a puncture. We'd thought the stiffened tyre sidewalls would make the ride too firm but in facft the big German floated gracefully over roads rough or smooth.
Of the three engines available - the others are a 4.8 petrol V8 and a three-litre petrol straight six - the three-litre turbodiesel is the pick if you're after a combination of muscle and economy. Refinement, too, as the smooth engine is decidedly un-agricultural.
The updated straight-six diesel makes a little more power than before - up from 150kW to 160kW - and torque's risen from 480 to 500Nm. The result, BMW says, is a faster 0-100km/h - 8.6 instead of 9.5sec - but top speed remains 210km/h.
No normal manual transmission
Diesel is quaffed at the rate of 8.7 litres/100km, says BMW, which is seven percent less than its predecessor. Our test vehicle averaged 10.6 litres but that was with four people on board, a boot full of luggage, and towing a motorcycle on a trailer, so a lighter load should make BMW's claimed figure achievable.
The X5 is no longer available with a normal manual transmission. All units have a six-speed Steptronic gearbox with a "tipshift" manual/sequential function. It changes gears quickly and smoothly and the smaller shifter, along with a new electronic parking brake, leaves room for storage boxes and cupholders. The lack of oddments space between the front seats was one of the previous X5's failings.
Often an automatic gearbox and a turbodiesel engine don't make happy partners but this ain't the case here as there's no turbo lag to speak of. The 3.0d has vast supplies of urge from low down in the rev range and devours distance as effortlessly as a Russian in the Comrades' Marathon.
The new X5 devours passengers and luggage impressively, too, and seven seats is an extra-cost option.
The boot is truly cavernous and easily took a week's holiday luggage for four. A space-saver spare wheel is another no-cost option but without it there's an extra 90 litres of boot space in the five-seater version. There are some thoughtful touches: the boot floor has an hydraulic strut to keep it up and the tail door opens in two sections.
Push-button brake
Styling-wise, no big reinvention. The new X5 is longer and wider, with short front and rear body overhangs and bigger wheels.
The button-operated electronic parking brake feels unnatural at first but I suppose it will eventually become second nature. Much the same goes for the iDrive controller, which is confusing at times though more intuitive to use than earlier versions.
The standard luxury spec is reasonably good, if not brilliant. Sure, I can do without toys such as the optional head-up display or sunroof, but for nearly R600 000, satellite navigation and a six-disc CD changer shouldn't cost extra.
Parking radar does come standard - it's needed when squeezing the X5 into a parking bay - but why no electrically-folding external mirrors, BMW? Several times we had to tuck them in manually to squeeze into a narrow garage.
VERDICT
The new X5 is mostly everything you'd expect from the successor to one of the best premium all-roaders in the business. It's large, powerful, and luxurious and still one of the best-handling SUV's around. And the 3.0d doesn't make you cry (too much) at fuel stops. - Star Motoring