BMW X6: unconvincing SUV-coupe
It’s blingier than ever, but BMW’s latest SUV-coupe actually drives really well
Oh how we scoffed when the X6 first appeared. An ugly, less practical X5, for more money! But now, 11 years and 443,000 sales later, here comes the third generation of BMW’s big SUV-coupe, a body style that swiftly moved from niche to mainstream, despite our Cnut-like protests.
It’s spawned a slew of copycats such as the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, Audi Q8 and Porsche Cayenne Coupe. Swagger and style are in, and to hell with the family and dog. To regain the upper hand, the new X6 has been reshaped, its engine range revitalised and its chassis tweaked. It’s longer and wider, while also being lower, but keeps the same general look and feel. BMW says the X6 is bought by an older, more rural demographic than the family-friendly X5, with a good showing by empty-nesters and divorcees. People who want to stand out, and who don’t need the practicality of the X5, then. That said, the X6 isn’t as impractical as is often alleged. There’s generous room for four adults, and only the middle passenger in the back row feels the pinch from that plunging roofline.
Four engines are available, all with an eightspeed auto and all-wheel drive. Three of them are straight-sixes: the 30d (from £59,340) with 261bhp, the 395bhp quad-turbo 50d and the petrol 40i making 335bhp. The range-topping M50i, from £76,870, makes 523bhp from its throaty 4.4-litre bi-turbo V8.
There are three trim levels, all lavishly equipped: Sport (adaptive air suspension, 19in alloys), M Sport (21in rims, upgraded exhaust and brakes) and M Performance (sports diff, trick suspension, Harman Kardon audio). Four-wheel steering and an off-road package are options.
We tested the M50i, which cruises remarkably quietly in Comfort mode, but carves corners with surprising urgency when you flick to Sport and get your toe in. It ticks the driving box emphatically, but it’s telling that BMW has launched its first illuminated kidney grille feature as an option on the new model. Sounds like a very good reason to go for the X5.
First verdict
Catnip to some, anathema to others – the X6 has matured into a decent, distinctive, but divisive plaything SUV
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