The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by BMW. The X5 made its debut in 1999 as the E53 model. It was BMW's first SUV. At launch, it featured all-wheel drive and was available with either a manual or automatic gearbox. The second generation was launched in 2006, and was known internally as the E70.
BMW marketed the X5 officially as a "Sports Activity Vehicle" (SAV), rather than an SUV, to indicate its on-road handling capability despite its large dimensions. The X5 signaled a shift away from the utilisation of body-on-frame construction, in favour of more modern monocoque chassis construction. Although the Mercedes-Benz M-Class was introduced more than a year prior to the X5, the X5 was the first to utilise a monocoque chassis. The M-Class used body-on-frame construction until its second generation.
The BMW E53 is the first generation BMW X5 mid-size luxury crossover SUV. The vehicle was the first SUV ever produced by BMW. It was produced between 1999 and 2006 and was replaced by the E70 X5.