• Interior space good but not class-leading
• Big boot with split tailgate
• Seven-seat option available

How much space is there?

The X5 is a big SUV and it certainly feels it inside. Up front, headroom is good even with a panoramic sunroof fitted, and the seats go far enough back to accommodate all but the longest legs comfortably. You benefit from the car’s width, too. There’s a wide armrest separating the driver and front passenger so you really can stretch out.

In the back, there’s also a lot of space, with enough room to fit three adults across the rear bench we found. The floor is almost flat as well, so you won’t be competing for foot space or tripping over a transmission tunnel. Taller passengers may still find their knees brushing against the seats in front if they’re set all the way back, and there isn’t quite the same sense of space as in a Volvo XC90, for example.

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Boot space and storage

The benefits of a big car continue to show themselves at the back – the X5 offers 650 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place. Accessed via an electric tailgate that splits like the bigger, posher Range Rover, you have a choice of opening it fully or just the top section without the lower bit coming down. Split tailgates are handy for loading large items, and they do reduce the space needed behind the car to open the boot – but they can be difficult for shorter people, as it makes it a long reach to the very back of the boot.

Drop the rear seats – done by levers in the boot – and the total boot space expands to 1,870 litres, with the second row of seats splitting in a 40:20:40 pattern. This means you can lower the middle seat for longer items, such as skis, while still seating two people in the rear.

There’s a useful area under the boot floor to hide away extra items, including the load cover, with a hydraulic strut holding it up rather than having to do it yourself. Just remember that the underfloor space (and option of seven seats) disappears if you pick the 50e plug-in hybrid, as its battery pack takes their place.

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Is it easy to park?

The X5 is surprisingly manoeuvrable in tight car parks and narrow city streets, aided by its lofty driving position and excellent forward visibility. Four-wheel steering is optional and boosts low-speed manoeuvrability.

With standard-fit parking sensors all-round and a surround-view camera, it’s easy to judge the extremities of the car, and you’ll not struggle to get it into an adequately-sized parking space. Whether you can find one big enough is another matter.

Safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP rating
• Long list of standard safety kit
• Plus more available at extra cost

The X5 received a five-star crash safety rating from Euro NCAP albeit under older testing criteria. As standard, the X5 comes with a long list of safety kit, including airbags for the front occupants, a knee airbag in the front, curtain airbags to protect the heads of those in the second row, as well as an attentiveness assistant to monitor the driver, several stability control systems and full LED lighting front and rear.

Unsurprisingly you can boost the kit count from the options list, adding various driver assistance and safety features as part of the Driving Assistant Professional pack:

• Automatic speed limit assistant
• Crossing traffic warning
• Crossroads warning with city braking function
• Lane-keeping assistant with active side collision protection
• Steering and lane control assistant
• Wrong way warning