The concept, which follows the BMW Concept Active Tourer unveiled in 2012 , uses a four-cylinder petrol featuring TwinPower Turbo technology and teamed up with an inhouse 95hp motor and a high-voltage lithium-ion battery.

The result is a hybrid version of the new X5 that offers speeds up to 120km/h (75mph), a maximum range of 30 kilometres (19 miles) on electric power alone and average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle of 3.8l/100km (74.3mpg imp). Meanwhile CO2 emissions are under 90g/km and 0-62mph time is under 7 seconds.

There is a choice of three driving modes: an intelligent hybrid drive option said to strike a balance between sportiness and efficiency plus pure electric running and a Safe Battery mode, which allows the battery’s energy capacity to be maintained.

Bespoke design features include the use of the BMW i Blue colour for the kidney grille slats, air intake bars and the inlay in the rear bumper along with specially designed roof rails, a connector for the charging cable that lights up during charging, and unique 21-inch light-alloy wheels.

The model also features the ECO Pro mode seen on current production models, which is activated using the Driving Experience Control switch and encourages a particularly efficient driving style. There’s also a hybrid-specific Proactive Driving Assistant, which teams up with the navigation system to incorporate factors such as route profile, speed restrictions and the traffic situation into the driving mode selection.

The five-seat model also delivers load carrying only slightly reduced from the original while the 40:20:40 split/folding rear seat backrest is retained.