KEY POINTS:
I tend to go on about this a bit, but I have a real objection to BMW's dress-up "M Sport" option packages and the way that they corrupt the maker's precious Motorsport brand.
For reasons related to the egos of some of its customers, BMW insists on pairing
these dress-up packs with the coveted blue-and-white badge from its proper M-division -_ the one that makes some of the world's best performance cars, such as the M3 coupe and M5 sedan.
These M Sport people aren't fooling anybody who knows about genuine M-cars - but I'd argue BMW is still undermining the exclusivity and credibility of its proper performance models by waving that badge about so much.
However, my M Sport objection was answered rather effectively with the X5 test car you see here - somebody had ticked the "delete badge"' option on the order sheet.
So with no pretentious M-badging visible on the outside of the car - at least when those M Sport alloys were rolling - what was left was a fully loaded version of an absolutely superb sports-crossover.
You have got to love the X5. It's unusually subtle-looking for a new-gen BMW, is performance-car quick with the 4.8-litre V8 engine and handles better than most sporty sedans.
The first time you pitch this two-tonne vehicle into a 35km/h bend you will be astonished at the determination with which it grips the road and goes.
The M Sport package adds $8500 to the price of an X5 V8 and brings special exterior (lots of aluminium) and interior trim elements, sports seats, larger 19-inch alloy wheels and stiffer suspension settings.
It all adds to the special feel of the X5, although plenty of stuff you might expect to be standard on a megabuck luxury wagon is still optional.
Adaptive lights, four-zone climate control and the seven-seat cabin configuration are still extra-cost. Hardly expected but pretty cool all the same was the $4960 rear-mounted DVD set-up. Go on, you know you want it.
Ditto for the must-have 20-inch wheels you see on our car. Granted, the ride deteriorates even further when compared with the standard M Sport 19-inchers. But it's already hard on those, so you might as well go all the way and look cool bouncing along.
The M Sport is still a tech-head's delight, with BMW's trick electronic gearlever wand thingy and a high-end sat-nav system as standard. The seating position is more akin to a large car than an off-roader, and the dashboard set-up is pleasingly driver-focused.
The X5 M Sport averaged 22 litres per 100km over 600km, but I won't hold that against it since I used the thing to move house _ proof that even prestige crossovers can be usefully practical. The official European Combined figure of 12.5 litres does demonstrate BMW's big petrol engines can be thrifty in the right driving conditions - for example, not 50km/h through the middle of town with a full load of car magazines on board.
But although the V8-powered X5 M Sport is awesome, surely the recent arrival of the twin-turbo diesel X5 M Sport 3.0sd - which makes 565Nm at 2000rpm and can sprint to 100km/h in 7.2 seconds - renders the petrol version obsolete.
The 3.0sd will be quicker than the V8 on any road, except a dragstrip, and consumes nearly four litres less fuel per 100km. Perfect.
BMW X5 M SPORT
WE LIKE: Rorty performance, sports-car handling, the driver-
focused cabin.
WE DON'T LIKE: Rigid ride, lots of stuff still optional and expensive.
THE FACTS
Basic price: $159,500.
Options fitted: 20-inch alloy wheels $2700, rear DVD system $4960.
Price as tested: $167,160.
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km.
POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE
Engine: 4799cc petrol V8.
Power: 261kW at 6300rpm.
Torque: 475Nm at 3400-3800rpm.
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, full-time four-wheel drive.
0-100km/h: 6.5 seconds.
Top speed: 240km/h.
European Combined fuel economy: 12.5 litres per 100km.
SAFETY
Active driver aids: Anti-lock braking with force distribution and brake assist, traction and stability control.
Passive restraints: Front, side and curtain airbags, five lap-sash seatbelts.
EuroNCAP occupant crash test rating: Not tested.
VITAL STATISTICS
Wheels and tyres: 20-inch alloy, 275/40 tyres.
Length: 4854mm.
Height: 1729mm.
Width: 1933mm.
Wheelbase: 2933mm.
Boot volume: 620/1750 litres, seats up/down.
Fuel tank: 85 litres.