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BMW has announced the first official details of the hydrogen X5 SUV that is scheduled for a market launch in 2028.

The arrival of the new FCEV will mean the fifth-generation X5, due on sale next year, will offer BMW’s broadest-ever range of powertrains: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell.

It has now been revealed in prototype form, with BMW officially confirming it will take the same iX5 name as the BEV variant.

“The launch of the X5 in five drivetrain configurations demonstrates our determination to serve different customer needs globally,” said Joachim Post, the German manufacturer’s R&D boss.

Although heavily camouflaged, the iX5 Hydrogen prototype hints at how the Mk5 X5 will adopt the bold Neue Klasse look that was introduced on the Mk2 iX3 at the recent Munich motor show.

Building on the iX5 Hydrogen test mule that was introduced in 2023, the new prototype uses a third-generation fuel cell stack, developed with Toyota, which is around 25% smaller than the current stack yet delivers greater power density and efficiency.

The system integrates a new high-voltage control unit, dubbed the BMW Energy Master.

Production of key components is scheduled to begin in 2028 at BMW’s plants in Steyr, Austria, and Landshut, Germany.

Performance targets have not yet been revealed, but BMW said the new system will surpass the outputs of the 2023 FCEV prototype: a 187bhp stack with a 295bhp rear-mounted electric motor for a total of 396bhp and around 313 miles of range.

BMW has yet to confirm full details of the new X5, but it is set to be based on an updated version of the company’s long-running Cluster Architecture (CLAR), rather than the new Neue Klasse EV platform, as used by the iX3.

The battery can clearly be seen packaged within the structure of the new iX5 Hydrogen prototype, supporting this CLAR speculation, as the Neue Klasse platform would have the pack integrated into the floor.

Inside, the prototype is seen to house a full-width head-up display and a 17.9in central infotainment screen, confirming that Neue Klasse design cues will also feature in the cabin.

BMW will phase out its long-running iDrive rotary controller, shifting towards touch and voice operation.

The new iX5 Hydrogen is set to become the first hydrogen car that BMW has ever sold. Along with the previous iX5 FCEV test mule, the company’s only previous such prototype was the 2005 Hydrogen 7, an adapted E65 7 Series that used a bivalent 6.0-litre V12 engine.