This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 24, 2016.

KUALA LUMPUR: BMW Group Malaysia has upped the ante of automotive sustainability with the launch of its BMW X5 xDrive40e, the latest premium plug-in hybrid vehicle from BMW and the 11th model to join its portfolio of locally assembled vehicles here.

Launched yesterday, the hybrid vehicle can travel at a top speed of 120kph in all-electric mode, with lesser fuel consumption of 3.3 litres per 100km as well as carbon emissions of just 77gm per kilometre.

BMW Group Malaysia head of sales Raymond Tan said the group had already received 50 bookings for the vehicle.

“Obviously, we will still offer the diesel- and petrol-based models, but based on market demands, we believe customers will opt for the new model, so we will have to adjust supply and demand accordingly,” he said at the launch.

BMW Group Malaysia managing director and chief executive officer Han Sang Yun said since the group created the premium sports activity vehicle segment, the BMW X5 had been setting milestones and benchmarks in its class the world over.

“The new BMW X5 xDrive40e marshals in the next chapter of BMW EfficientyDynamics, delivering exceptional performance as well as all-electric mobility with zero emissions, and introduces a new form of commanding driving experience with a combination of pure electric and dynamic driving in a sports activity vehicle,” he said.

The new addition to the group’s popular fleet of large sport utility vehicles has a high-voltage battery that offers a gross energy capacity of 9.2kWh and can be topped up with energy from any domestic power socket.

When charged by a conventional domestic power socket, the battery can be fully recharged from flat in around three hours and 50 minutes.

Under the umbrella of BMW 360° ELECTRIC, customers are offered the ChargeNow service via a ChargeNow card that grants them access to partner charging stations, ChargEV, which are operational in 35 locations throughout Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Kedah, Melaka and Johor.

The BMW X5 xDrive40e is also fitted with a 2.0-litre combustion engine, which has already won the coveted title of “International Engine of the Year” three times.

The retail price of the BMW X5 xDrive40e is RM582,800. With a government-approved hybrid incentive, the vehicle is priced at RM388,800 without insurance.