The handling is superb, the rev-happy engine smooth and sonorous

I remember growing up with posters of the BMW Z1 and M1 covering the better part of my bedroom walls. I was in love with all things Bayerische Motoren Werke, or what little I knew. These were cars that I could imagine myself driving around the south of France and I was confident that the German marque's future models would continue to have a place in my heart, if not on my wall.

For years, my obsession with BMWs continued unabated. I loved the plain yet muscular design of the late 80s E34 M5 and was equally impressed with the E36. The simplicity of its stunning silhouette was enough to win me over; I had to have a BMW. I saved up all that I could and ended up buying a secondhand 325 Coupe. My love for the brand endured up until a man named Chris Bangle took the reigns at the Munich design bureau and distorted what in my eyes was a near perfect design philosophy. I cringed every time I looked at the X3's rear lights or the 7 series Ôbubble-butt' boot lid. Yes, the new flame-surfaced vehicles sold well, and yes, the cars were technologically advanced and still fun to drive. But the BMW I adored wasn't supposed to look like it had been designed with a machete. Ever since then, I have found my inspiration in other cars; except for one, the X5.

The first generation SUV was spared Chris Bangle's heavy design hand, and it was a lot more reminiscent of the original BMW design language that I enjoyed gazing at all those years ago. It was simplistic with what I considered to be more of an emphasis on looking good rather than just standing out.

Demand rose sharply as soon as people clapped eyes on the genre-bending all-rounder and the original X5 proved to be something of a worldwide hit. Not only did it look good, but it was the first Sports Activity Vehicle to drive more like a luxury sedan than a small truck. Nearly 600,000 X5s have been sold to date, but what we would make of its second coming...

Earlier this month, I volunteered to road test the new generation X5 in Oman. Although it doesn't look dramatically different to its predecessor, BMW's efforts to re-open the gap between it and the competition have been tremendous and, rather refreshingly, don't involve inserting the largest available engine under the bonnet.

The day after we arrived in the Sultanate, we were escorted to our glimmering silver test vehicles, handed the keys, a lunch pack and a road book we were instructed to follow down to the last detail if we didn't want to get lost. (Is it just me, or was this starting to sound like a school trip!)

Partnered up, I eagerly volunteered to start the drive. Twenty or so kilometres of highway driving later, we found ourselves nearing Oman's craggy mountain ranges. The roads getting twistier and the drive more challenging. I could sense my driving partner's jealous eyes burning a hole in the back of my head as I put this X5 through its paces.

This is a car that BMW hadn't taken any chances with. The handling is superb, the rev-happy engine smooth and sonorous and the heavily tweaked gearbox shifts lightning fast. Few other 4x4s that I had driven behaved like this. It felt lighter and handier than its predecessor, delivering the kind of steering precision, body control and grip that many an executive saloon would be hard-pushed to better.

Unselfishly, I decided to pull over and let my counterpart have a turn behind the wheel. It is always interesting to experience a car that you're test driving from the passenger seat. You get to withdraw from the intensity of the experience in order to observe what the driver is doing and how the car behaves under someone else's inputs. I noticed how intensely my drive partner had to concentrate for the first few minutes to get a grip on this car's dynamics and then how he suddenly seemed to relax once he realised how effortless and easy to drive this car was.

That's what the X5 does to you; it creeps up on you and makes you feel intimidated at the beginning, perhaps due to its large presence, aggressive looks and the presumption that such a large vehicle must be tough to hustle through mountainous roads.

My time in the passenger seat also gave me a chance to rediscover just how much I didn't enjoy using BMW's iDrive system, despite its improved menu tree and slightly simplified functions. The interior, too, was rather cheap-looking, especially for the price you're paying. The dashboard and centre console are littered with plastic; the stuff is everywhere. On the upside, however, the instrument binnacle is in clear sight, controls are nearby and logically laid out, and the centre console sits nicely right under your elbow while the electronic gear shifter falls right into your hand.

The new six-speed automatic ' box is claimed to cut shift times by 50 per cent over the old model and the gearshift travel is shorter since the selector returns to its initial position each time it is used. It is also positioned closer to the driver, making it easier to access and providing greater space on the right side of the centre console for storage.

The X5 also has something which neither of its two main competitors - the Porsche Cayenne S or ML500 - have; optional third row seating. It doesn't look it from the outside but the new X5 is significantly bigger than the old car, being some 190mm longer and 60mm wider. The extra length provides more rear legroom and the third row of seats. Though only really suitable for children, they could prove a unique selling point in the Middle East where the average family size is larger than those of the Western world.

A brief pause at our lunch stop gave me a chance to walk around and look at the other X5s with various interior options. BMW is offering the new vehicle with three different trim levels with pre-selected option groupings. My jaw nearly dropped when I referred to the press kit to ascertain the difference in price. In the Gulf, prices start at around $ 74,500 for the X5 4.8i with the lowest trim level and rise on up to a staggering $ 88,500. Not cheap.

Back in the car and by the time we had reached the summit of the Hajjar Mountains, I had put my minor gripes and price issues to one side and was concentrating on just how well the X5 drives. It's agile, the 4.8-litre V8 engine makes every one of its 355bhp felt; the speed is strong if not startlingly so. The official acceleration number is 0-100kmh in just 6.5sec, which is not bad considering the X5 weighs in at two and a quarter tons.

The great thing about this car is that its electronics seldom make themselves apparent. The traction control and sophisticated on-road-biased xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which combines electronic damping control and hydraulic anti-roll bars to optimise body control in fast cornering, work nearly completely undetected. But the benefits are enourmous, the chassis has very little roll and doesn't pitch forward under heavy braking or backwards during hard acceleration and the car corners remarkably well on the lefts and rights of this challenging Omani tarmac.

Would I recommend the X5 over the ML500 or Cayenne S? Overall, the new X5 moves the game on as BMW intended. It's certainly aesthetically more pleasing than the previous model, but it's on the move that all BMW's hard work shines through, administering handling and performance that belie its size.

In terms of value for money, the Cayenne S ($ 67,700) and ML500 ($ 65,500) are certainly a lot cheaper and you might argue that with both you get a more luxurious interior and especially, where the Cayenne S is concerned, a faster and - with PDCC-fitted - better handling SUV. But it also depends on your brand preference - BMW has a very loyal following in the Middle East - as well as what floats your boat visually.

While we have extensively road tested the Porsche Cayenne S (see p74) in this very issue, to compare the rivals comprehensively, we would have to drive them back to back...

But for those of you who owned the previous generation X5 and are wondering if the new one is better, then my answer to you is an emphatic yes.

Specification
BMW X5 4.8i
Engine: V8
Location: Front
Displacement: 4799cc
Max power: 355bhp @ 6300rpm
Max torque: 350lb ft @ 4300-4800rpm
Transmission: Six speed electronic gear automatic, all-wheel drive
Weight (kerb): 2245kg
0-100kmh: 6.5sec (claimed)
Top speed: 240kmh (claimed)
Price: $ 74,500
evo Rating: 4 Star