BMW X5 Euro NCAP crash test

5 stars. Overall excellent performance in crash protection and well equipped with comprehensive and robust crash avoidance technology

The passenger compartment of the X5 remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger.  However, the driver knee airbag was found not to have deployed correctly.  The score for this body area was penalised and BMW were not allowed to demonstrate that structures in the dashboard did not present a risk of injury to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.  Accordingly, protection of the driver's knee, femur and pelvis body region was rated as weak.  From August 2020, the X5 is not equipped with a driver knee airbag.  Data supplied by BMW demonstrates that protection of the knee, femur and pelvis is not compromised by the removal of the airbag and the overall star rating is unaffected.  On the passenger side, there is no knee airbag and protection was rated as good. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was at least adequate for both the driver and the rear passenger.  In the side barrier test, maximum points were scored, with good protection of all critical body areas.  In the more severe side pole impact, dummy readings of chest compression indicated marginal compression for this body region, with other parts of the body being well protected.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.  The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking system performed well in tests of its functionality at the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which many whiplash injuries are caused.

In the frontal offset and side barrier tests, protection of the 6 and 10 year dummies was good or adequate for all critical body areas.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  All of the restraint types for which the X5 is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car except for one Group I child-seat in the optional third row seats, where the head restraint did not allow the restraint back to be properly reclined into its locking position.

The X5 has an 'active' bonnet.  Sensors in the bumper detect when a pedestrian has been struck and actuators lift the bonnet, providing greater clearance to hard structures in the engine compartment.  BMW showed that the system detected a variety of pedestrian statures over a wide range of speeds.  Accordingly, the car was tested with the bonnet in the raised position.  The protection provided by the bonnet to the head of a struck pedestrian was good or adequate over almost the entire surface.  The bumper provided good or adequate protection to pedestrians' legs at all test locations.   However, protection of the pelvis was poor.  The AEB system is able to detect vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.  In most tests of these functionalities, the system performed well, with collisions avoided or their severity mitigated, even at night-time in the case of pedestrians.

The X5 has a seatbelt reminder system for the front and rear seats.  The AEB system performed well or adequately in various tests of its functionality at highway speeds.  A standard-fit lane-keep assist system helps to keep the car from drifting out of lane.  The speed assistance system uses a camera and digital mapping to determine the local speed limit and the driver, allowing the driver to set the speed limiter appropriately.