The 2019 BMW X5 can be optioned with an electric boot cover, a technology that takes the top spot on our list of useless technology and makes BMW look like it's trying too hard.

BMW’s Electric Boot Cover

The boot cover has been around for ages, and it’s great to be able to conceal whatever it is you’re carrying in the back of your SUV, hatchback, wagon. However, the constant influx of useless technology has led BMW to the not-so-bright idea of changing and complicating the boot cover as we know it forever. How so? Well, BMW has decided to make the boot cover electric, so when it’s not in use, it will stow away in the floor out of sight. We don’t know a lot about the boot cover, however, it seems as if it will operate in a traditional fashion by rolling up toward the rear-most seatback. From there, it will magically slide down into the floor and conceal away all neat and tidy. It’s kind of a cool feature, we guess, if having a small tube-like structure behind your rear seat really bothered you, but it has to be the most useless piece of technology we’ve seen automakers come up with in the last decade.

Apparently, this optional piece of equipment will be available starting in December of 2018, and there’s no word on price, but we’re willing to bet it won’t be the cheapest option on the list. What’s even more interesting is that BMW has drastically cut down on the amount of cargo space in the rear of the new X5. Compared to the outgoing model, minimum cargo capacity has dropped by 13 cubic-feet while maximum cargo capacity has dropped by 11 cubic-feet. It begs to question, then, whether at least part of this drop in cargo space can be attributed to all of the extras needed to electrify the boot cover.

BMW X5 Interior Dimensions

If that is the case, then BMW actually expects you to pay extra money to lose cargo space and install a useless piece of technology that probably won’t get used often. I don’t have statistics sitting in front of me, but I’m willing to bet that most people keep their boots covered a majority of the time. I know I haven’t removed the boot cover from my GMC Yukon or Golf Wagon more than 3 times in the last five years. But, maybe BMW people are different. Either way, it boils down to something else that will likely be expensive to replace and is beyond the realm of necessity.

Other Useless Technology in the BMW X5

The electric boot cover isn’t the only piece of useless technology that you’ll find in the new X5. Have you heard about the optional panoramic glass roof, dubbed “Sky Lounge?” Well, it’s a big glass rood, which is great – we all love to look at the stars from time to time. But, apparently, BMW believes it needs to be a piece of expensive technology as well and has infused the glass with some kind of lighting system that can display more than 15,000 illuminated graphic patterns….15,000… It’s a play right out of Rolls-Royce’s playbook, no doubt, which pushes the idea that BMW is creeping to the high side of the luxury segment if you’re willing to pony up the dough. I know some of you will say “that’s badass” or “that’s sick” (in a good way, of course) but at what point does this become too much.

But wait, there’s more. You can also option the X5 with an ambient air system that will deliver a number of different, selectable fragrances into the cabin. It’s another one of those features that you’ll find coming standard from brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, and it’s BMW’s way of pushing the envelope of useless technology just a little further. Pair that with the illuminated door sill finishers and the welcome mat lighting, and you’re looking at a bunch of technology that could easily fairly and cost a fortune to fix. Finally, BMW has found it necessary to give you the option to pay for heated and cooled cupholders – because there’s no reason your beverage should ever rest beyond a certain temperature threshold.

Is it a BMW or a Rolls-Royce? Well, if you start checking off options, you’ll probably start creeping up on Rolls-Royce pricing territory, anyway. At this point, we can’t help but wonder when the influx of useless technology is going to stop and what BMW will come up with next. It won’t be long, and we’ll have an automatic seating feature. You know – when the door opens by itself, the seat slides out, wraps itself around your body and pulls you into the vehicle. What do you think about some of this technology? Is it cool? Is it a must-have, or is it just more that people will be tricked into getting because they want to have all the options? Let us know in the comments section below.

Further Reading

Read everything we know about the 2019 BMW X5.

Read our full review on the 2017 BMW X5.

Read more BMW news.