Previously, the plug-in hybrid was a very middling experience with electrification, with less than a dozen miles of EV range and a lacking four-cylinder powertrain. The fixes just about everything.

The 2018 BMW X5 xDrive40e’s hybrid powertrain was centered around a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, with a total combined output of 308 horsepower

and 332 lb-ft of torque. That’s far from bad, but the hybrid’s curb weight was also about 500 pounds heavier than the standard X5.

The 2021 xDrive45e now gets a familiar 3.0-liter inline-six engine and a new and improved hybrid setup, making 389 horsepower and 411 lb-ft of torque combined. Aesthetically, it also seems to get a new color-matched painted bumper, which I’m into?

The vehicle’s electric-only range has now improved to 30 miles at a max speed of 84 mph, up from just 10 to 14 miles from the previous gen plug-in. Fuel economy ratings will be available later, but it can can also tow up to 7,200 pounds and get from 0 to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds.

The new hybrid model gets three driving modes, including Sport, Hybrid, and Electric, though notably no “off-road mode.” BMW does claim the standard 8.3-inch ground clearance can be raised (or lowered) by another 1.6 inches with the air suspension, though, which is standard.

I tried driving low and fast with the X5’s suspension lowered once and it yelled at me and put it back to the standard setting. But damn if I didn’t look good for a few seconds there.

Anyway, the standard xDrive all-wheel drive system is now tuned to be more rear-biased to be a little sportier, and BMW found a way to keep the battery components low in the body, only impacting the interior cargo volume by 1.1 cubic feet with the second-row folded down. That’s nothing!

But what about that weight problem? The xDrive45e’s curb weight is now . That’s already almost 400 pounds heavier than the outgoing hybrid X5 model, and much higher than the reported 4813-pound curb weight for the .

That 0 to 60 time works for me, though, as long as the brakes are good. It’ll be available in the U.S. next month starting at $66,395 after destination fees, or about $4,000 more than the base all-wheel drive X5 and about $10,000 less than the V8 X5.