Hours after the BMW X7 was caught undergoing testing on the Nürburgring, spy photographers have snapped its smaller sibling on the famous race track.

Expected to arrive within the next two years – some reports place it as early as 2018, the redesigned BMW X5 is draped in swirly camouflage, but doesn’t appear to stray too far away from the current model.

The crossover is still in the early stages of development, but this particular prototype appears to have a larger twin kidney grille and an evolutionary front bumper. The déjà vu design continues aft of the A-pillar as we can see a familiar greenhouse, a prominent character line, and what appears to be more curvaceous bodywork. Lastly, at the rear, we can see a tailgate-mounted spoiler and updated tailpipe finishers.

BMW has been tight-lipped about the model, though engine options could carryover from the new 5-Series. If this occurs, choices may include a 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder with 248 hp (251 PS) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque, a 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder with 335 hp (340 PS) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque, and a 4.4-liter TwinTurbo V8 developing 456 hp (462 PS) and 480 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque.

Further down the road, we can expect a plug-in hybrid variant as well as a high-performance X5 M with the same engine as the M5.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

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