PABALLO THEKISO
IF A LADY walking down a street with her man stops, turns and screams at a car you are driving, then you must know your car is hot.
But if a man driving the latest BMW X5 gives you a good stare in admiration, not even realising the traffic light is green for him, then you must know that you are driving a powerful car with a strong presence.
This was the distraction I caused while cruising the streets of Joburg in the new BMW X6 M50d sports activity coupé.
It is 1.7m high, 4m long and 2m wide.
The new X6 is intimidating and extravagantly beautiful and you have to give it to the Germans: they are masters of design.
I have never been a BMW fan and am still not one … and I have criticised the cars in previous reviews – but I have to give credit where it is due.
I still maintain my criticism that whether it is an X6 or 3 Series, once you are behind the steering wheel, all BMWs look and feel the same.
Yes, the technology advances with most BMW models, but I have driven the M6, 335i Hybrid, 428i, X5 and 420 Grand Coupé and, with the exception of the M6 and besides the height and power, my impression of the X6 is that the interior design is the same, and that, for me, is boring.
But, you do get a lot of envious looks when you’re out and about in the X6, as you’d expect in something costing R1.3 million.
Unlike its predecessor – that had a console separating the back seat into just two seats – the new X6 has transformed itself into more of a family car than just an executive toy. A family holiday is now possible, with the 550 litres of luggage space.
One thing I still struggle to imagine the X6 doing – though it probably can – is conquering big rocky mountains. Even with a 212mm ground clearance, I still see it more as a toy for posing and making “I’ve arrived” statements to peers than an adventurous SUV.
There is no compromise, though, on power. Its 280kW engine helps the beast to sprint from 0 to 100km/h in just 5.2 seconds and when set on Sport+ mode, one would think the noise from the exhaust would raise the dead…
Yet, there are plenty of electronic safety aids to look after even the most reckless of drivers.
I expected trips to the fuel station to be frequent and painful but I found the beast surprisingly economical… I achieved a highway consumption of 6.8l/100km and 7.5l/100km in the city – impressive for such a big monster and not far off from the 6.6l/100km claimed by the manufacturer.
Because of the X6’s size, BMW has introduced a 360° live camera video image that gives a “satellite-like view” when the car is passing through narrow spaces or driving too close to other cars. The live image automatically comes on and is displayed on the dashboard screen, showing exactly the margins on which one is driving.
The X6 has many other intelligent features as well.
The lane departure warning alerts the driver by causing vibrations on the steering wheel whenever he or she moves out of his or her lane. Front-end collision warning with city braking will briefly apply brakes when it detects a person within a specified range.
And when travelling at night, the system detects animals within a specified range as well.
Smart navigation will alert the driver of broken-down cars ahead, traffic jams, roundabouts, and roads curving, helping raise driver awareness and allowing better choices.
After using 100Mb of data downloading the ConnectDrive, it was disappointing not to have been able to use it due to its complexity and the unfriendly steps to register.
Having seen the promotional ads, I guess I also wanted to be that cool guy who locked his car and switched on his car lights remotely.
But because of its many cool features, I had other things to keep me cool, such as shift paddles, memory front seats, an electronic steering adjustment lever, cruise control, USB and Aux ports, and Bluetooth (limited to connecting only five devices).
The car comes standard with a built-in hard drive where music can be stored and if you appreciate good sound you can enjoy your music through the 16-speaker surround sound Bang & Olufsen system.