[PHOTOS] 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show: BMW Unveils Its Concept X5 eDrive, With Specs, Ahead Of SUV Plug-in Hybrid's Debut In Germany Next Month

With the 65th International Motor Show in Frankfurt a month away, automakers have been dribbling out their sneak peeks ahead of one of the world’s largest and most-watched auto expos, in a country that has basically become synonymous with modern high-quality vehicle engineering.

Playing for the home team, Muenchen-based Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (FRA:BMW) just unveiled details of its Concept X5 eDrive SUV, which is exactly what it sounds like: a newly designed, conceptual plug-in four-cylinder hybrid version of its X5. It boasts an exhaust-emission standard of less than 90 g/km, not great for a plug-in hybrid sedan but good for the SUV class.

The battery is in the back, so it takes up some luggage space. The eDrive system hooks up for the first time to BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system to distribute power efficiently between the car’s front and rear wheels. The vehicle also comes with all the “connected” bells and whistles showing up in new cars these days, including touch screens, wireless capability and the ability to check the car’s battery charge via a smartphone app.