BMW X6 test

New segment
Extravagant, unique, out of this world…all expressions that could be used to describe the new X6 from BMW.  With this model, BMW has created a brand new market segment – leisure coupés, or SAVs as they are also known. Put simply, it’s the result of mixing a 4x4 with a coupé.

BMW has been inspired by the success of the Range Rover Sport in the design of this concept. And it hasn’t taken Land Rover long to respond with their LRX concept, which is also a 4x4/coupé mix, but with just three doors. BMW has actually gone one step further with an X6 cabriolet, but there are currently no plans for that model to make it into production. Three centimetres longer than an X5, 5cm wider and 9cm lower, the X6 is squat, muscular and elegant in its design. The wings are oversized, with large air intakes. The most striking characteristics of the X6 are the sweeping roofline and the coupé style lights. It’s a seductive vehicle…so much so that it won over many of our journalist colleagues who were initially sceptical of the concept.


But remember that the X6 is a niche vehicle. It will only ever be produced in small numbers. Despite many anti-4x4 movements, this is a segment that continues to grow across Europe. Saying that the BMW X6 won’t be successful is like saying that the entire luxury car segment is doomed to fail. The dash in the X6 is taken from the X5. The only differences are the automatic gearbox and the knee rest on the centre console. The interior is all about comfort and elegance. In the rear, there are two individual seats.


There are four engines available – two petrols and two diesels. Our test model was fitted with the 306bhp 3 litre twin turbo…It’s a very capable engine…one that shifts the 2.2 tonnes around with little trouble. That said, we’ll be bringing you a test of the brand new 407bhp 4.4 litre V8 very soon. One of the two diesel engines is a 286bhp twin turbo unit. It’s capable of propelling the X6 from 0 to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds, which is just two tenths slower than our petrol test vehicle.
Its looks aren’t in question, and the X6 also handles well, thanks to the xDrive system, which is linked to a new system, called Dynamic Performance Control. DPC shares out the torque to provide the most efficient driving experience, splitting the power front and rear, and left and right, as you can see at the bottom of the screen. As a result, the X6 is agile and powerful. It’s very easy to forget that it weighs a massive 2145kg. It has the genes of a coupé, and the roadholding to go with it. The X6 is a pioneer…but it might just be that BMW has got the recipe right!