BMW X5 Facelift Spy Photos - Wearing Different Bumpers

We are fast approaching that time of year when the BMW X5 (E70) gets a newly refreshed face to keep sales ticking nicely until a brand new replacement arrives in 2012. These pictures taken near the BMW engineering facility in Germany may not be the first spy pictures of the facelift BMW SUV but they are the first to show the car with these two different sets of bumpers.

When comparing the two sets of spy photos, past images of the front bumper show a thin horizontal splitter behind the mesh grille while these new photos place it in front of the grille. Through casual observation the front bumper air intake pockets appear to have a different shape too, but this may be the result of the car's black and white psychedelic camouflage.

At the rear the changes are more acute with the lower centre portion of the bumper showing the most difference. The previous rear bumper pictures showed this part to be quite flat-shaped whereas this one has a trapezoidal diffuser shape in the middle.

With every facelifted model BMW tends to introduce new engines. Among these would be the new 180kW (244hp) 3.0-litre turbo diesel and the 4.4-litre twin turbo petrol used in the 750i. We can also speculate that the new iDrive system with 3D sat nav mapping that is fitted to the 3 Series and 7 Series will appear in the facelifted X5.

Please see comparison images for a clearer view.