Bmw x6

Bmw x6

 Bmw x6

BMW didn’t show a concept of the X6 until the Frankfurt motor show in 2007. The production X6 had its debut at Geneva the following March. It was the first BMW whose whole range will feature turbocharged engines.The X6 represents another niche for BMW, and another answer to a question we thought no one was going to ask. But ask they have, because the BMW X6 has sold well.Think of it, really, as BMW’s tall answer to the Mercedes-Benz CLS. It’s largely the same as the car on which it’s based (the E-class in the Mercedes’ case, the X5 here), only with rather more design flair and quite a lot less practicality. Following a recent facelift, the range comprises three petrol engines and three diesels. The mainstream petrols are badged xDrive35i (using a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder engine) and xDrive50i (a 4.4-litre V8). The 4.4 V8 M is actually true to its badge; it uses a tweaked version of the 4.4-litre V8 that produces 547bhp. The diesel xDrive30d and xDrive40d use different versions of BMW’s 3.0-litre, six-cylinder diesel. The newest addition to the range is BMW's tri-turbo diesel, a three-litre unit based on the existing six-cylinder engines. It powers the X6 M Performance model, the M50d.

Bmw x6

 Bmw x6

To make the BMW X6, the company turned to the mechanicals of its X5. The two models both roll from BMW’s Spartanburg plant in the United States and the oily parts of both are, if not quite identical, then at least separated at birth.Ah yes, the X6’s appearance. Seldom has a car divided opinion as much as this one. And seldom has so much of that opinion been negative. But while the X6 does impose itself perhaps too abruptly for a lot of tastes, it has been adeptly converted from concept to production with little dilution, and it does have some striking angles.It’s all about presence at the front. The four swaged lines down the bonnet and the large headlights (gas discharge as standard) are all meant to make the X6 look imposing. They do.The frontal air intakes are split to make the X6 look even wider than it is. Not that they really need to. At 1983mm, it’s 50mm wider than an X5 about as wide as cars can get before they won’t fit in car washes.The kidney grilles are the largest ever seen on a BMW. We’re told (though we have our doubts) that they need to be this big to feed the engine with the requisite amount of air. There’s no denying they lend a certain visual impact, though. The revisions have exaggerated this impact further by increasing the the impression of width with the X6. This has been achieved with repositioned fogs, even wider kidney grilles and a new light arrangement.It isn’t a real diffuser at the back, but it adds some muscle to the rear end. If you get down low you can see the X6’s impressively flat underbody.With such a beefy front, there’s a risk that the X6 could look limp at the rear. Its high bootlid, pronounced rear wheel arches and strong horizontal lines prevent that.BMW has managed to give the X6 an authentic coupé roofline. Its height peaks above the front seats then slopes gently towards the rear.

Bmw x6

 Bmw x6

Perhaps predictably, BMW has lifted much of the X5's cabin design for the X6, which is no bad thing at all. The dashboard, centre console and front seats are all the same as those of the X5, and in the front half of the cabin there’s plenty of room.Differences over the X5 include a sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles and knee pads on the centre console, in a not entirely successful attempt to add some sporting appeal. Mostly there is just the same feeling as in the X5, in that the X6 has a well assembled cabin made from generally fine materials. The iDrive control unit sits on the centre console, together with the electronic gear selector and handbrake. The glovebox is a little small but it’s supplemented by a cubby between the seats. The seats themselves are excellent: large, well bolstered and highly adjustable.It’s easy enough to find a decent driving position, or possibly even more than one; the seats and steering wheel adjust high enough to allow a commanding view, but the seat also reaches sufficiently low, and the wheel sufficiently far, to allow a lower, more relaxed, pseudo sporting position.Rear accommodation rather inevitably, given the slope of the roofline is less impressive. BMW has done what it can; this is a strict four-seater, so there’s plenty of shoulder room, and the cabin roof is contoured to allow as much headroom as possible. Legroom is perfectly acceptable, anyway. But there’s no getting away from the fact that anyone of above-average height will probably feel cramped.The boot is large enough for everyday use, although its load sill, at almost 900mm off the ground, is very high.

Bmw x6

 Bmw x6

The BMW X6’s twin-turbocharged six-cylinder diesel is an excellent device in all its other applications, and so it proves in the X6. The 301bhp of the more powerful diesel makes it quick enough, as a claimed 0-62mph time of 6.5sec proves. But it’s the torque some 443lb ft that helps to make this engine, and a car as heavy as the X6, so driveable. The rev range is broad and smooth, while the six-speed automatic gearbox makes its shifts cleanly and intelligently.The 30d is no slouch, either; its single turbo helps to produce 241bhp and the same amount of torque as its larger brethren, with a 0-62mph time of 7.5sec. If you are buying the BMW X6 while wearing your sensible head, then this is the powerplant that is most likely to tick the boxes of performance versus economy and emissions figures.Both engines are sufficiently flexible that they rarely a need to ask the six-speed auto to kick down, but when it does the X6 is fast through itincrements. They are relatively quiet engines, too, and those noises they do make sound cultured and powerful.Power for the M car comes from a 4395cc V8 motor that puts out 547bhp and 501lb ft of torque, providing the 2380kg X6 with the ability to pass 62mph from standstill in just 4.7sec. That makes this 4x4 faster than the manual BMW M3 coupe.

Bmw x6

 Bmw x6

The engine is a masterpiece, delivering power instantly and in a constant surge. Much of that smooth delivery is due to the six-speed automatic gearbox (there is no other transmission option), but the engine has an impressive level of flexibility through the rev range, never feeling out of its depth.Its new diesel equivalent, the X6 M50d, offers equally devastating performance. With 376bhp, it lags behind the petrol car for outright power but counters with a huge 546lb ft, a 45lb ft advantage. This is the figure that enable the M50d to accrue astonishing speed from almost any revs, although some lag is noticeable. Being equipped with an eight-speed auto helps to negate some of this effect by providing closely stacked ratios. For now, BMW's three litre triple-turbo diesel is unrivalled for power and performance.The lower powered petrols don't lack for performance, either, but they will remain niche choices at least in the UK, thanks to the workload they have to go through to haul the X6 along, and the subsequently poor economy figures they deliver.In the dry, the X6 stops well. It is less impressive in the wet, adding 15 metres to the distance in the dry in our tests, though this remains fair for a car of the X6’s bulk.

Bmw x6

Bmw x6