RATHER like the poker player who goes all-in on a flush only to find his opponent has a full house, rivals of BMW may soon be feeling cleaned out.
Next month sees the arrival of the next generation X5, the model which heralded a new arena in the car market - the sports activity vehicle - when it first appeared in 1999.
Popularly acclaimed as the best car of its type, the X5 was the heavy duty 4x4 that behaved like a sports tourer.
Bigger, better equipped, more frugal and significantly more enjoyable to drive, the new model will also be the first BMW to feature a third row of seats.
When it arrives in showrooms on April 28, the X5 will cost £39,540 for the entry grade 3.0i SE, £40,120 for a 3.0d SE diesel and £49,980 for the fiery 4.8i SE.
In the case of the 32mpg diesel, which BMW expects to be responsible for the vast majority of sales, the price is 10 per cent up on the outgoing model. That said, buyers previously had to pay £1,000 for automatic transmission, which is now standard on every car.
Built alongside the Z4 sports car at a state of the art plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the X5 is a model packed to the gills with technology and featuring several 'world firsts' like a head-up display and active steering.
Its xDrive four-wheel drive system, for instance, is supported by something called Dynamic Stability Control+, which has been upgraded to include three different functions to improve the car's braking, and hill-start assistant that lets the car pull away smoothly on a steep slope without rolling backwards.
Drivers can also select a dynamic traction control set-up to boost handling on both dry tarmac and slippy surfaces.
This is also the first car of its type to have a racing car style double wishbone front suspension for optimum ride and handling.
So how does this little lot equate to everyday driving? Non-stop torrential rain meant conditions for the X5 test drive could scarcely have been more demanding.
The 235bhp 3.0d model offers as much power as you could ever really need, its ride quality is top notch and there's virtually nil body roll. The following day it tackled a specially laid out slalom track at high speed with the agility you would never expect from a two-ton 4x4.
And while the X5 is renowned more for its style, luxury and on-road attributes, this latest version can really hack it in the rough stuff too.
A three-mile off-road section resembled a waterfall in parts, yet the hill descent control ensured the big Beamer coped like a Land Rover before sluicing through a two-feet deep water trough.
The 4.8i, with its 355bhp of thrust and gorgeous V8 burble, will be the preserve of Premiership footballers and others for whom money is no object. It's an extremely capable car with whopping acceleration, yet I managed to empty a quarter of a tank of fuel in just 50 miles.
Inside, a new dashboard design houses BMW's iDrive control system - fitted to the X5 for the first time - complete with eight 'Favourite Buttons' on the centre console for use as shortcuts.
There's also a cleverly sculpted auto gearlever and a button to replace the traditional ignition key start, while the overall feel inside is more luxurious with top grade fabrics and tough plastics, though most customers are expected to opt for the Nevada or Nappa leather.
In fact there's only one area in which you could realistically criticise the X5 and that's the feature included due to customer demand - a third row of seating.
The two extra seats are individual, sturdy and fold flat into the load floor, but they are set low down to the point that children may feel claustrophobic - unable to see over the tall second row and through the high set rear side windows.
Even when all seven seats are in use there's a usable amount of luggage space available and a raft of safety kit includes six airbags, ISOFIX child seat attachments and run-flat tyres that allow a deflated tyre to be driven at up to 50mph for 155 miles.
Before the X5's arrival nearly eight years ago there were only the more traditional mud-plugger type cars with heavy differentials. The big BMW created a new segment, and with its latest model the German maker has raised the bar again.