Despite the fact the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show has been dominated by electric vehicles, it seems that BMW isn't putting all their eggs in one basket, and has shown off an extremely interesting concept SUV.
Aside from the blue paint, there isn't too much that differentiates the German manufacturer's 'i Next Hydrogen Concept' from a standard road-going X5 on the outside — but the inside says a different story.
According to BMW, the blue accents that are scattered across the modified X5 make it instantly recognisable as an ‘i’ model, but we're not convinced.
While Toyota and BMW's relationship has been criticised for bringing back a "too BMW" 2020 Supra, the two-seater wasn't the only car to come out of their collaboration.
Back in 2013, the two automotive giants joined forces to bring hydrogen-powered vehicles to the market. Two years later, a prototype 5-Series GT emerged that was powered by a Toyota fuel cell stack.
In 2016, the official fuel cell agreement was signed, and ever since, they have been working together to improve the technology.
As with all hydrogen-powered vehicles, this X5 won’t produce any carbon dioxide emissions, and will have a similar driving range to comparable petrol and diesel-powered vehicles.
Despite bringing the concept to the Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW has remained extremely tight-lipped about the specifications of the X5, although it reportedly won't compromise on comfort and towing capacity.
The German manufacturer doesn't look like it's in any rush to bring this 'i Next Hydrogen' SUV to the market any time soon, but that could just be down to the fact that hydrogen refuelling infrastructure doesn't exist yet.
They are reportedly aiming for the X5 FCEV variant to hit public roads in 2022, before series production of hydrogen-powered vehicles begins in 2025.