The Next BMW X5 Could Ditch Its Beloved Split Tailgate Trick

BMW shows no sign of easing off, with 40 new models planned within the next two years. Among the most important is the next-generation X5, a midsize luxury crossover that runs practically neck and neck with the X3 in US sales. Expected to make its world premiere by summer 2026, the radically redesigned SUV faces a tough task in bettering the accomplished outgoing model. Yet early reports suggest the new X5 will arrive without one of its most useful old-school features, the split tailgate it has carried since the very beginning.

According to Automotive News, the redesigned X5, codenamed G65, has already been shown to dealers ahead of its debut, and some attendees shared what they saw. The new SUV reportedly appears more compact than its predecessor, though that may simply reflect its styling rather than a genuine reduction in size. Those present also noted headlights featuring an X-motif, a detail already glimpsed in recent spy shots, hinting at a bolder face for the brand’s best-known crossover.

The bigger talking point concerns the boot. Dealers who viewed the 2027 X5 observed that the split tailgate has gone, replaced by a conventional one-piece design. If accurate, this would make it the first X5 without the two-section arrangement, and plenty of loyal owners will mourn its loss. The likeliest explanation is cost, since split tailgates demand extra mechanisms and components. BMW has already simplified elsewhere, with the 5 Series Touring losing its opening glass hatch, and the change casts doubt over the next X7 retaining the feature too.

Leaked specifications paint a fuller picture of the newcomer. The G65 will reportedly measure 196.6 inches long, 78.7 inches wide and 68.9 inches tall, riding on a lengthy 119.5-inch wheelbase. That makes it longer than before with a stretched wheelbase, though slightly narrower and lower. Five powertrain types are planned, spanning petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, fully electric in iX5 form, and even hydrogen. Unlike the X3 and iX3, which use entirely different underpinnings, spy shots confirm the X5 and iX5 will share a single platform.

The reveal is pencilled in for around summer 2026, with production commencing shortly afterwards. Showroom arrivals should follow either before the end of that year or in early 2027. Whether buyers will forgive the loss of that practical split tailgate remains to be seen, but BMW will be banking on the new X5’s fresh design and broad powertrain line-up to keep its sales powerhouse firmly on top.