Under the Hood

Both engines incorporate direct fuel injection and turbocharging. The xDrive35i uses a new 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder with one turbocharger, while the xDrive50i uses a 4.4-liter V-8 with two. Power ratings are unchanged on the new six-cylinder, but BMW says it is more efficient. BMW says both engines promise minimal turbo lag and a flat torque curve that begins under 2,000 rpm.

300-horsepower, 3.0-liter six-cylinder with 300 pounds-feet of torque (xDrive35i)
400-hp, 4.4-liter eight-cylinder with 450 pounds-feet of torque (xDrive50i)
New eight-speed automatic transmission
xDrive's Dynamic Performance Control doles out power from front to rear and side to side, at least among the rear wheels
Differential electronically varies power proactively from a full 50/50 lock to as much as 100 percent going to either wheel to enhance performance and safety
Adaptive Drive system electronically alters suspension's stiffness between sport- and comfort-oriented settings to suit different driving conditions

    See also:

    Comfort position
    In the comfort position, the roof is not fully open. This reduces wind noise in the passenger compartment. Each time the glass sunroof is opened or closed all the way, it stops in the comfort posi ...

    Multi-channel playback,surround
    Choose between stereo and multi-channel playback, surround. Setting multi-channel playback, surround 1. "CD/Multimedia", "Radio" or "Settings" 2. "Tone" 3 ...

    Tone control
    You can alter various tone settings, e.g. treble and bass or the speed-dependent volume increase. The tone settings are applied to all audio sources. The settings are stored for the remote control ...