Philip Koehn doesn’t beat around the bush. The senior VP of BMW’s luxury division just told the press that off-roading was not a priority for the new generation.
Makes sense?
Probably. The outgoing model already stretched the envelope. It came with an Off-Road Package—air suspension, locking rear differential, underbelly armor, all-terrain tires—that was arguably too rugged for most folks.
So why make the 2027 G6 any harder when it’s already capable?
Koehn’s line to the journalists was direct: “It’s probably the most capable X5 ever.” He said they didn’t feel the need to chase extreme rock-crawling metrics for a car whose buyers rarely leave pavement.
We have driven the Silver Anniversary Edition through the Spartanburg off-road course. It handled everything we threw at it. No complaints.
Still, there is a ghost in the machine. A rumor. Project G74.
Whispers say BMW is cooking up something else. Something with serious intent to take on the Land Rover Defender and the G-Wagon. Code-named G74, potentially arriving late 2028 or early 2029 if executives give the nod.
So why water down the X5’s potential? Because maybe a dedicated tool belongs in the box. The X5 is a luxury cruiser. If you want to bash your knuckles on granite, the brand might prefer you buy a different key.
Wait until they confirm G74. Or maybe they won’t.
We don’t know. The road ahead is clear enough for the X5. For the rocks, we’ll just have to wait.
