BMW X5 Chinese Model Will Be Slightly Different From The Global Model

The new BMW X5 takes many elements from the new Neue Klasse design language. Invisible door handles and the X-shaped light signature are two of the design signatures of the new large SUV. But these elements will not be coming to China.

Chinese regulators have issued strict safety regulations banning electronic door handles. The law requires that every door must have a physical recess measuring at least 6cm wide, 2cm high, and 2.5 cm deep, into which a gloved hand can be inserted to open the door. The reason for the stricture is a series of accidents in which the electric door handles failed to open. So the X5 will have to have classic door handles in China. Although BMW claims that its electronic door handles, which are located higher on the door, have all the safety features.

The distinguishing feature of the new generation X5 is the graphics of the headlights. The daytime running lights and turn signals form a light and the letter X. In China, the letter X has a deeply rooted negative connotation. It expresses error, prohibition, and destruction. Historically, this symbol often appeared in the names of people sentenced to death. So BMW had to come up with an elegant solution, and a software solution was enough.

The car will not look like an X, but only with neutral, slanted diagonal lines, similar to the smaller iX3 (pictured below).

In Europe, the headlights of the new X5 can also be switched to a simpler shape, but in China, diagonals are the only setting.

ix3

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