BMW’s New X5 Comes With a Surprise: A $1,085 Slab of Rock You Can’t Skip

The latest BMW X5 is turning heads with its bold exterior, but it’s what’s inside that’s stirring up debate. Every early production model of the new SUV ships with a pricey slate trim piece on the center console—whether the buyer wants it or not. BMW’s online configurator shows the so-called Individual Clear & Bold package is mandatory for now, adding roughly $1,085 to the tab.

That’s about 1 percent of the X5’s base price in Germany, and some customers are not thrilled about the lack of choice.

So what exactly does the package include? A thin strip of genuine slate around the redesigned shifter, plus crystal glass switches on the door panels and center console for adjusting the seats. BMW says this makes the X5 the first production car to use real slate trim—an unusual, eye-catching material that beats the typical piano black.

Starting in December, the automaker plans to offer X5 models without the slate, giving holdouts a date to mark on their calendars.

Beyond the trim controversy, the new X5 packs a wide range of powertrains. 0-liter inline-six making 394 horsepower. Two plug-in hybrids are also coming: the X5 50e AWD with 483 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, and a hotter M60e version delivering 612 hp and 590 lb-ft. An all-electric iX5 with 570 hp is on the way too, along with V8 and hydrogen-powered models down the line.

With all those options, the slate debate might just be a small bump in the road.