With no SUVs, where would BMW be today? The brand may be even more beloved by purists, but accountants in Munich would struggle to analyze the statistics. Over the past few years, the company has grown to become the largest premium manufacturer in the world, pushing Mercedes-Benz to the back burner. BMW’s success has been largely attributed to SUVs, and the X5 was the catalyst for this.
As the first E53-generation car drove off the assembly line at Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina on September 1, 1999, BMW is commemorating 25 years of its pioneering SUV. This 2025 X5, appropriately dubbed the Silver Anniversary Edition, is built around the xDrive40i. The X5 is distinguished from the standard car by its unique lime rock grey paint job and unique tailgate insignia.
Although BMW hasn’t produced a proper off-road vehicle yet, the X5 represents a little step in that direction. The xOffroad Package, which comes standard, combines an additional layer of underbody protection and a mechanical rear differential lock with a two-axle air suspension. Better ground clearance and four additional driving modes—Snow, Sand, Gravel, and Rocks—are included with it. Every one of them includes pre-programmed settings for things like acceleration responsiveness, gearbox shifts, ride height, and traction control.
But there’s still more. BMW is including a so-called xOffroad camera, which can display the surrounding terrain at up to 22 mph, to sweeten the bargain. An xOffroad View in the middle screen, which displays the terrain’s slope or downward gradient, supplements the camera. It also shows the ground clearance and roll inclination.
All-terrain tires are an option for the Silver Anniversary Edition, even though X5s are rarely driven off the main path. These 20-inch, two-tone wheels from the M Sport Package are discounted when paired with the dealer-installed General Grabber tire combination.
The X5s with M Sport goodies are also the source of the dark exterior highlights. The full-fat X5 M Competition and the X5 M60i are the sources of the carbon fiber trim found inside. Silverstone Sensafin, Black, Cognac, and Coffee are the available colors for those gorgeous seats. The unique insignia that appears in front of the gear selector completes the modifications.
BMW plans to produce about 1,000 X5 Silver Anniversary Edition models for the US market starting in August. The special version costs $81,075 (destination and handling fees included), which is $11,900 more than the standard xDrive40i. Ships the car with a roof rack, a trailer hitch, all-weather floor mats, and a luggage compartment mat for a fair price.