Next X6 M to get more than 600hp
BMW’s sporty SUV is undergoing tests before an anticipated premiere in China next year.
BMW’s new X6 M performance SUV-coupe has been spotted, with the M5’s 4.4-litre V8 under the bonnet for an anticipated output of 600hp or more. It will top the range of the third-generation X6, which is expected to make its bow at the Shanghai motor show next April.
Production will remain at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, where prototypes are already being built for testing. A regular X6 prototype was also spotted on the same outing as the pictured X6 M.
The X6 range will kick off with xDrive30d and xDrive40d variants, though a greater petrol-powered offering is expected. The xDrive40i, 50i and 45e versions will make up the rest of the range, with the notable addition of the plug-in hybrid.
The M Performance M50d and M50i variants are also planned as BMW proliferates its M sub-brand, though the M50i petrol might be just geared towards the US market.
The M50d will be powered by a quad-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine producing more than 400hp.
All engines will be shared with the mechanically similar new X5. Like the X5, the new X6 will be based on BMW’s CLAR platform, with double wishbone front suspension and five-link rear suspension. Air suspension will be an option.
Compared with the previous X6, the roofline will be less coupe-like than before, with a more steeply angled tailgate. At the front, the car will follow the lead of the X5 in adopting the mono-kidney grille. The overall design draws heavily on that of the smaller X4 SUV-coupe, however.
Inside, the new X6 will be almost identical to the X5, with BMW’s new seventh-generation iDrive infotainment system featured.
The X5 and the new Mercedes-Benz GLE both made their first appearances at the Paris motor show earlier this month, meaning the timing for the X6 and its most direct rival, the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, is likely to be similar.
The GLE Coupe will get AMG 53 and 63 variants that are expected to closely match the M-tuned X6 models for performance.