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The original BMW X5 was a milestone car in two ways: it was the first performance-orientated SUV that subsequent premium brands have followed, and it was the first BMW SUV.
The new-generation car is arguably an iterative development of its predecessor, but critically is responding to two new developments in the sector: the dominance of the seven seat large SUV as defined by the Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7; and the introduction of its cheaper sibling, the X3, that is barely smaller than the original X5.
Now with seven seats and a 7.4 inches gain in length, the new X5 is also more conventional relative to the market today than the original was relative to the market when it debuted in 1999 - further substantiation of the quiet corporate shift away from the challenging Bangle-era design direction that we've already seen with the 7 Series facelift and 3 Series coupe.
In the flesh the most notable aspect to the new X5 is just how similar it appears to the outgoing model - nearly the same flared wheel fenders around the wheels, and very similar front, side and rear graphics. But the surfacing is quite different; fluid, calm, innovative and exceptionally well resolved; very 21st century BMW.
Some interesting details include the way the hood surface rolls over the lights and around the grille to stop over a slim secondary mesh grille, and the depth of section to the front fenders (that allows the shut line to work with adjacent surface creases).
Inside there is far greater difference relative to its predecessor with a very fluid and clean aesthetic - note the subtle S-shaped flow of the centre console, the asymmetrical (and slightly effete) gear selector, and the form of the IP in front of the passenger.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster
The V8 Vantage Roadster is simply a cabriolet version of the successful V8 Vantage with a triple-layered fabric hood that folds flat in 18 seconds.
The design is notable particularly for the way the interior rolls out of the car as two separate blisters sitting on the rear trunk deck behind each occupant, a condition emphasised by the way the deck runs forward between them. On both of the cars presented at the show the interior leather stitching is the same colour as the exterior which adds a further subtle dimension to this interior-exterior interplay.
In the survey Car Design News carried out at the end of last year with over a thousand participating CDN readers, the V8 Vantage coupe was voted the favourite production design. With the roadster being arguably more attractive than the coupe V8 Vantage (unlike that of the cabriolet version of its closest competitor; the Porsche 911) this LA debut is perhaps most significant just because the design is so attractive.
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Aston Martin V8 Vantage coupe - Geneva 2005
Saturn Vue
At Geneva in March this year the Chevrolet brand unveiled the Captiva SUV, two months later Opel presented the Antara and now Saturn is debuting the Vue in LA. They are all the same car bar minor design differences, the most obvious for the new Vue being the grille and lamp inserts.
General Motors are clearly reaping as much value from this mainstream compact SUV design as they can. It will be an important volume model for Saturn just as it is for the other two brands, and their strategy of using marginal design differentiation for each brand is hard to fault commercially.
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What's New: Chevrolet Captiva
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