Review of the new BMW X6

Sometimes you have to wonder. I have a suspicion that senior executives at car manufacturers must occasionally write the names of types of cars on pieces of paper, fold 'em up, pop them in a hat and draw pairs out at random. It's possibly the only excuse for the Renault Avantime (coupe/people carrier), the Fiat Sedici (supermini/4x4) or the Citroen C3 Pluriel (convertible/you tell me). It won't have escaped your attention that none of these cars have been wildly successful, but when a manufacturer does get it right as, say, BMW did when it brought the X5 to market, combining the handling of a sports saloon with the appeal of a big 4x4, the payoff is huge. BMW think they have another winner with the X6 Sports Activity Coupe.

You may recall the X5 being launched with a Sports Activity Vehicle tagline attached to it and the X6 follows on the same theme, the coupe part of its title coming from its steeply raked rear window rather than any deficit of doors. Will it succeed? That's a tough question to answer.

The X6 is significant in all manner of different ways, one of them being that it's the first time that BMW has introduced an entire range of turbocharged cars. For a company that has forged its reputation on normally-aspirated, usually six cylinder powerplants, that's quite a departure but the X6 is not a car that adheres to convention. There are two diesel engines, the xDrive30d good for 235bhp which is enough to get it to 60mph in 7.8 seconds, and the xDrive35d's 286bhp capable of punting the X6 to 60 in just 6.7 seconds and onto 147mph. Go petrol and there's the 306bhp xDrive35i and the 408bhp xDrive50i.

All models feature four wheel drive and an innovative system that debuts on the X6, Dynamic Performance Control. This is the only stability control system in the world able to provide a stabilising effect both under power and with the engine on a trailing throttle. Whereas most systems use the brakes on the inner wheels to 'pull' a car into shape when the control system detects under or oversteer in a corner, Dynamic Performance Control instead sends additional wheel speed to an outer rear wheel to 'push' it around the corner. The effect is a smoother, quicker and less obtrusive way of exiting a bend.

"BMW seems confident that a market exists for a four seat 4x4 with no off road ability and looking at the way many 4x4s are used, I'd have to agree with them"

Things have moved on in terms of vehicle dynamics since the X5 was first launched. That car was a revelation then and remains one of the very best luxury 4x4s to drive, but the X6 is playing to a different crowd who want the raised seating position but are after an even more sporting drive. The exterior design reflects this fact with a tapering roofline and a long rear body overhang giving the car the stretched profile of a coupe. The standard 19-inch alloy wheels also lend the X6 the look of something that has just leapt straight from a designer's sketch book. Flared wheel arches and big front air intakes give the car an aggressive look.

There's quite some interest under the bonnet as well. The V8 that powers the xDrive50i isn't the same as the one that powers the 650i coupe. That's a 4,799cc V8 with 367bhp on tap. The X6's V8 is a very different animal, displacing 4,395cc and which locates two turbochargers and a catalytic converter in the vee of the engine. So compact is this engine that BMW claims it will fit in any car in its range that can accept a V8.

BMW seems confident that a market exists for a four seat 4x4 with no off road ability and looking at the way many 4x4s are used, I'd have to agree with them. The pricing certainly looks aggressive, with the entry level X6 xDrive30d weighing in at £41,965, or around £1,500 more than the equivalent-engined X5. Go for the xDrive35d and you'll need to find £44,145, while the petrol-engined xDrive35i costs £42,730. Quite what to compare these prices to is not straightforward, but the X6 will probably have to fend off both more traditional 4x4 models as well as other four seat coupes.

The X6 comes with a healthy list of standard equipment that includes two zone climate control, part electric seat adjustment, a 6.5 inch colour display screen with iDrive controller and 19-inch alloy wheels. Go for the xDrive50i model and you'll get a unique 19-inch wheel design, self levelling rear suspension, Nevada leather upholstery and a more aggressive looking kidney grille and tailpipe combo.

Yes, there are a number of desirable options that will bump the total price of the X6 up quite considerably but if you can resist the head up display, the reversing camera and the active steering system, costs can be kept in check. BMW has forged a reputation for being amongst the leading lights when it comes to engine efficiency and the X6 is a key beneficiary, the powerful 286bhp X6 xDrive35d returning a combined fuel economy figure of 34mpg while even the 306bhp petrol engined xDrive35i will get 25.9mpg.

EfficientDynamics technology features across the range. This is BMW's suite of energy saving technologies that includes Brake Energy Recirculation, which recycles lost energy to the alternator, reducing alternator drag in normal driving conditions and improving fuel economy. Reduced rolling resistance tyres, low friction transmission fluids and a high tech absorbent glass mat battery are also key aspects of EfficientDynamics. Petrol powered X6s also get a high precision direct injection system for even more efficient combustion. Factor in decent residuals, low servicing costs and some of the lowest emissions for engines of this size and power and the X6 should be a manageable proposition in terms of ongoing running costs.

This probably isn't the place to rehash arguments about 4x4s that never go off road, nor am I going to act as arbiter on whether the BMW X6 is or isn't an aesthetically pleasing shape. That'll be up to the customer. I suspect the X6 is going to do decent business for BMW, offering the young and successful a vehicle with all the road presence of a 4x4 but with the attitude of a sports coupe. One view is that it's refreshing that the pretence of going off road has been dropped at last.

There can be no misgivings over the engineering and the feast of technology employed within the X6 however. The 286bhp xDrive35d model that looks to be the pick of the range is seriously quick off the mark yet emits less CO2 than a 2.3-litre Ford Mondeo. The X6 range as a whole might be a gamble by BMW, but it's clearly one the Munich company's put a lot of thought and resource into.

TOP 5 X6 DEALS

The results below show the top X6 deals on buyacar

BMW X6 xDrive40d 5dr Step Auto [Dynamic] Diesel Estate
Price £44,516 Read X6 Reviews	Save £5,159
BMW X6 xDrive30d [245] 5dr Step Auto Diesel Estate
Price £40,632 Read X6 Reviews	Save £4,648
BMW X6 xDrive35i 5dr Step Auto [Dynamic] [8] Estate
Price £43,003 Read X6 Reviews	Save £4,917
BMW X6 xDrive30d [245] 5dr Step Auto [Dynamic] Diesel Estate
Price £42,333 Read X6 Reviews	Save £4,872
BMW X6 xDrive35i 5dr Step Auto [8] Estate
Price £41,301 Read X6 Reviews	Save £4,694
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