These two seats come complete with three-point inertia-reel seat belts and headrests adjustable for height. To ensure convenient access to this third row of seats, the second row may be moved forward with their backrests upright, while grab recesses in the inner lining on the C-pillars help to ensure easy access.

The backrest incline on the second row of seats is adjustable to four different positions and variable in length, helping above all to accommodate large and bulky items in the cargo area.

Enhanced comfort in the third row seats is ensured by separate heating and ventilation nozzles. When the seats aren't needed, they may be stowed individually into the floor of the luggage compartment, completely out of sight. This provides a large cargo area from front to rear together with the second row seats folded down. Passengers in the second row of seats enjoy about 1.5 inches more kneeroom than in the former model.

Regardless of the number of seats being used, generous space is always offered behind the two-piece tailgate. The cargo floor is now almost 4 inches longer than before.

An additional storage compartment beneath the floor of the luggage compartment on models without a third row of seats offers an extra 3.15 cubic feet of storage space. Overall storage capacity for the new X5 is 75.2 cu. ft., an eight percent improvement over the previous model.



Intelligent lightweight construction: greater solidity improves comfort, handling and safety

BMW's engineers and designers have succeeded in making the body of the new X5 even stiffer. To provide additional space and extra solidity without a significant increase in weight, the engineers have concentrated consistently on intelligent lightweight technology.
Both the choice of materials and the arrangement and geometry of the support bars, arms and reinforcement members are based on an overall concept designed for maximum safety in a crash combined with superior agility. Torsional stiffness versus the former model is up approximately 15 per cent from 23,500 to 27,000 Nm/degree.

The BMW X5 is a vehicle which, taking its body dimensions into account, offers the highest standard of solidity and agility currently possible. Even the extra-large panoramic glass roof included in the Premium Package does not have any noticeable effects on the stiffness of the overall bodyshell.



Torsional stiffness and crash safety of the highest standard

Stiffness at the front is optimized without an increase in weight by low-lying support arms around the wheel arches which curve in towards the middle of the vehicle and provide a firm connection to the engine supports. Around the C-pillars a fully-closed torsion ring also serves to enhance body stiffness.



Body stiffness is further increased by wedges on the rear lid at medium height on the two

D-pillars when closed. Contact between the wedge elements and the surrounds is ensured by way of the soft close function of the rear lid, and the improvement of stiffness at the rear is quite substantial. In fact, to achieve the same effect any other way, the engineers and body designers would have required additional metal sheet components weighing about 13 lbs.

High- and ultra-high-strength steel is used at the rear end of the new BMW X5 in order to achieve optimum stiffness and load resistance in a rear-end collision despite minimum use of material. At the front, in turn, use of a cast aluminum spring support serves to reduce weight while optimizing stiffness.

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