Verdict
The RM22,800 premium for the BMW X5 buys far more muscle: its 3.0-litre turbo petrol hybrid develops 308 hp and 540 Nm, against the Toyota Vellfire’s 2.5-litre 180 hp and 235 Nm, and reaches 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. It also brings all-wheel drive, adaptive air suspension and a 650-litre boot. The Vellfire answers with seven seats, ottoman captain’s chairs, power sliding doors and a lower RM835 annual road tax versus RM1,637. Choose the BMW for five-seat pace and luggage space; choose the Toyota for chauffeured-family practicality.
Pick the BMW X5 if you want 308 hp, 540 Nm, all-wheel drive and a 650-litre boot in a five-seat SUV.
Pick the Toyota Vellfire if seven seats, ottoman captain’s chairs and power sliding doors matter more than outright performance.
Key differences
- Price: BMW X5 RM470,800; Toyota Vellfire RM448,000.
- Power and torque: BMW X5 308 hp and 540 Nm; Toyota Vellfire 180 hp and 235 Nm.
- Seats: BMW X5 five; Toyota Vellfire seven.
- Boot space: BMW X5 650 litres; Toyota Vellfire 510 litres.
- Driveline: BMW X5 all-wheel drive; Toyota Vellfire front-wheel drive.
- Annual road tax: BMW X5 RM1,637; Toyota Vellfire RM835.
X5
- 308 hp and 540 Nm from a 3.0-litre turbo petrol hybrid
- All-wheel drive with adaptive air suspension
- 650-litre boot and 0-100 km/h in 5.4 seconds
- Costs RM22,800 more
- Five seats versus the Vellfire’s seven
- RM1,637 annual road tax versus RM835
Vellfire
- Seven seats with power-adjustable ottoman captain’s chairs
- Power sliding doors with soft-close function
- Five-year unlimited-mileage warranty
- 180 hp and 235 Nm trail the X5’s 308 hp and 540 Nm
- 510-litre boot is 140 litres smaller than the X5’s
- Front-wheel drive rather than all-wheel drive
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM470,800 | RM448,000✓ |
| Body type | SUV | MPV |
| Segment | Executive | Executive |
| Assembly | CKD | CBU |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM1,637 | RM835✓ |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 24-valve DOHC, Turbochaged with Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing and Lift | 16-valve DOHC Naturally Aspirated with Variable Valve Timing |
| Capacity | 2,998 cc | 2,494 cc |
| Horsepower | 308 hp at 5,000 rpm✓ | 180 hp at 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 540 Nm at 1,750 rpm✓ | 235 Nm at 4,100 rpm |
| Cylinder Arrangement | Inline 6 | Inline 4 |
| Fuel | Petrol Hybrid/REV | Petrol |
| Bore × Stroke | 82 mm × 94.6 mm | 90 mm × 98 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 11 | 9.8 |
| Number of Motors | 1 | — |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | CVT Automatic |
| Transmission Name | Eight-speed Steptronic | 7-speed Super CVT-i with Sports Sequential Shiftmatic |
| Gears | 8 | 7 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | ZF | Toyota |
| Driveline | All Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 5.4 seconds | — |
| Rated Economy | — | 9.1 L/100 km |
| Top Speed | 250 km/h✓ | 170 km/h |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 4,935 mm | 5,005 mm |
| Width | 2,004 mm | 1,850 mm |
| Height | 1,765 mm | 1,950 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,975 mm | 3,000 mm |
| Weight | 2,240 kg | 2,105 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 83 litres | 60 litres |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Seats | 5 | 7 |
| Boot Space | 650 litres✓ | 510 litres |
| Front Tyre | 275/40R21 | 225/55R19 |
| Rear Tyre | 315/35R21 | 225/55R19 |
| Spare Tyre | N/A, Tyre Repair Kit | Space Saver |
| Factory Tyres | Continental PremiumContact 6 SSR Run-flats | Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 060 |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Malaysia (CKD) | Japan (CBU) |
| Front Suspension | Double Wishbones with Air Suspension | MacPherson Strut |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link with Air Suspension | Double Wishbone |
| Front Wheels | 21" Style 915M Light Alloy Wheels | 19" Alloy |
| Rear Wheels | 21" Style 915M Light Alloy Wheels | 19" Alloy |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | Air Suspension with Adaptive Dampers | — |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | 8 (Driver and Passenger, Driver Knee, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain) | 6 (Driver and Passenger, Driver Knee, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain) |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airbag Disable Function | ✓ | — |
| Child Safety Lock | Manual for Rear Doors | Manual for Rear Doors |
| Seat Belts | 5 Three-point | 7 Three-point |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available for 2 Outer Rear Seats | Available on Outer Middle Row Passenger Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes | Yes, TSS Pre-collision Braking (4-120 km/h) with Pedestrian Detection |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | All Seats | All Seats |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | Adaptive LED headlights with Auto High Beam | LED Projector with Auto High Beam |
| Taillamps | LED Combination | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Front Foglamps | — | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | Driver and Passenger Powered Seats | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Driver's Memory Function, Ventilated |
| Rear Seats | 40:20:40 Split-folding | Power Adjustable Ottoman Captain Middle Row Seat, 50:50 Fold-up Last Row |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Rear Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Sunroof | Panoramic Sliding Sunroof | Fixed Panoramic Glass Roof, Rear |
| Power Sockets | 1 Front, 1 USB-A, 1 USB-C Front, 4 USB-C Rear | 2 Front, 1 Console Box, 2 First Row, 2 Second Row |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights & Ambient Lighting | Map Lights and Ambient Lights |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 Rear | 2 Front, 2 Middle Row, 2 Last Row |
| Sun Shade | Powered Sunroof Shade, Manual Rear Window Shades | Powered Rear Sun Shades, Powered Panoramic Roof Shades |
| Audio | 14.9" Touchscreen BMW Live Cockpit Professional with Voice Control, Wireless Apple CarPlay, Wireless Android Auto and 17-speaker Harman Kardon Sound System (525W) | 14" Display Audio with Touch Screen, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Connectivity, 15-speaker JBL Sound System |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up & Down with Anti-pinch | Four Windows, Driver's Side Auto Up and Down with Anti Pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Operation |
| Auto Start/Stop | ✓ | — |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Steering Assist and Curve Speed Reduction |
| Tiptronic | — | ✓ |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | — |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Contactless Opening, Powered Boot | Powered boot with soft close function |
| Parking Sensor Front | 6 Sensors | 4 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 6 Sensors | 4 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes, 360-degree View Monitor | Yes, With 360 Degree Camera |
| Auto Parking | Yes | — |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | ✓ | — |
| Power Door | — | Power Sliding with Soft-close Function, One-touch Auto Close, Anti-pinch |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Mileage Extended | Unlimited | — |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 2 years | 5 years✓ |
| Warranty Extended | 3 years | — |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used X5 & Vellfire for sale
X5 vs Vellfire FAQ
Is the BMW X5 or Toyota Vellfire better?
The BMW X5 is better for performance, all-wheel-drive traction and boot capacity, with 308 hp, 540 Nm and 650 litres. The Toyota Vellfire is better for carrying people, providing seven seats, captain’s chairs and power sliding doors.
What is the price difference?
The BMW X5 costs RM470,800 and the Toyota Vellfire costs RM448,000, so the BMW is RM22,800 dearer.
Which has the lower running tax and longer warranty?
The Toyota Vellfire has the lower annual road tax at RM835 against RM1,637 for the BMW X5. It also has a five-year unlimited-mileage manufacturer warranty, compared with two years for the X5.
