BMW X5
BMW The BMW X5.Perhaps you've been reading that SUVs are dead? That depends on what you mean by "SUV." The market for luxury-branded crossover wagons -- SUV look-alikes that ride and handle like cars -- is doing just fine, and about to get another boost.
BMW, which scored a hit with its X5 "sport activity vehicle" is finally getting around to redesigning the six-year-old vehicle, which now is wheezing in competition with the recently redone Mercedes M Class and faces another challenge from rival Audi's new Q7. BMW promises the new X5, scheduled to launch in late November, will not only be more powerful, but also deliver better fuel economy, thanks to new engines that employ lightweight metals and high-tech valve-train technology.
Perhaps equally important for families who found the old X5 over-emphasized "sport" and under-delivered on utility, the new model has 8% more cargo space and an optional third row of seating. But BMW cautions that this is a third row designed to accommodate kids, not adults.
The Bottom Line: Luxury crossovers are still the status wagon alternative to minivans. The new X5 will have plenty of company.
full article is:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1155...ml?mod=autos_3
The title of the article is: Coming to a Showroom Near You, and in print it's on Page D4.
Interesting side note in the article on the Lexus LS 460:
"Lexus wowed the winter auto-show scene with its stunning new top-of-the-line Lexus sedan, which has evolved from its roots as an homage to Mercedes-Benz, but with better quality, to a high-tech showpiece with styling clearly influenced by BMW."