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DIRT RACER: BMW style accurately translated to off-roader by none other than Chris Bangle. Has aged well and is still cool.

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Want off-road looks and style but never venture beyond the dirt tracks? The original BMW X5 remains a great choice says Shahzad Sheikh.

When BMW launched its X5 in 1999, it was keen to stress that this was not an SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) but an SAV - a Sports Activity Vehicle.

The difference was significant and it's one that set apart the X5 as a ground-breaking and trend-setting pioneer. It was the first time a premium manufacturer offered what was essentially a jacked-up road car (in this case a 5-series) with an overtly sporting personality and the appearance of a 4WD.

It was undeniably the inspiration for the Porsche Cayenne which arrived in 2002, but arguably, also took its lead from innovative products from the Toyota empire.

When the RAV4 was introduced in 1994, the Japanese marque made no bold claims about its off-road prowess, it was deliberately engineered to feel and drive like a good road car, but offer the style and practicality of an ‘SUV'.

Then in 1997, its Lexus brand introduced the RX range, a sporty high-end vehicle that implied rugged ability through its configuration. It was dubbed the SLV (Sport Luxury Vehicle).

Setting aside the slightly more utilitarian and frankly dull 1997 Mercedes M-class, the only car that successfully combined full-size off-roader appeal with the quality and desirability demanded by affluent motorists who wanted a big tall vehicle with great road presence, was the Range Rover.

It's no coincidence that BMW owned Land Rover from 1994 to 2000 - the period during which it developed the X5 (and whilst the current Rangie was being engineered).

Much of the tech was shared, such as the hill-descent system. Even the British car's twin tailgate was copied. And both cars borrowed heavily from the 5-series parts bin for electronics and interior bits, identifiable on Range Rovers right up until last year's revisions.

But to its credit, BMW didn't just rebadge a Range Rover, it wanted a car that remained true to its ‘ultimate driving machine' ethos and, if it meant compromising its abilities on the rough stuff, then so be it.

Early testers who were treated to drives in that most alien of environments for a big four-wheel drive, the race track, came away astonished at just how good, and entertaining, it was. The body control, helm response and performance it displayed was unheard of previously on this type of car.

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