Review of the new BMW X6 xDRIVE 5.0i

Running BMW's X6 xDrive50i will take a considerable amount of cash and a healthy immunity to the disparaging looks of other road users. The car is bold, some would say brash, but it certainly makes an impact out on the road. It's also thoroughly well engineered, pulling off the supremely difficult task of marrying the luxury of a premium 4x4 with genuinely sporty handling - then throwing in a 400bhp V8 engine for good measure.

Not so long ago, the concept of a luxury off road coupe would have been immediately filed in the wastepaper basket alongside the MPV roadsters and double-decker city cars by any self respecting automotive industry bigwig. Today, times have changed somewhat. Niche markets previously given short shrift by the major marques are in the process of being reclassified as ripe for exploitation. The existence of the BMW X6 xDrive50i would appear to emphatically prove that point.

The timing of the arrival of the X6 on these shores always looked pretty abysmal. Sky rocketing fuel prices? Check. Tough economic climate? Check. Environmentally-inspired public and media backlash against large 4x4 vehicles accompanied by knee-jerk tax rises? Check. All the elements appeared to be in place to convince a manufacturer that now was not the time to launch a luxurious all-wheel drive 'Sports Activity Coupe' packing a 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine and a pricetag north of £50,000. Of course, we flatter ourselves if we think we can tell BMW how to run its business. The reality is that the X6 is not a car built with the UK market in mind but rather a model designed to bring home the bacon from foreign markets more lucrative and less sensitive than our own. We should be thankful that they've sent it over here at all because, politics and economics to one side, it is a remarkable vehicle.

The mind boggles at what a BMW X6 M-car might entail but for the moment, that seems as unlikely as a 1-Series hovercraft crossover. For the time being, luxury SUV performance nuts will need to 'make do' with the X6 xDrive50i. The 4.4-litre V8 engine in this car produces 407bhp with the aid of twin turbochargers and that's enough to let it achieve the 0-60mph sprint in 5.4s. That's pretty rapid for a car weighing two and a quarter tonnes and if the 155mph speed limiter were disabled, this range-topping X6 would doubtless stretch its legs out into the realm beyond. The engine has been tuned to achieve the violent low-end grunt that drivers of these behemoth 4x4s enjoy and 600Nm of torque courses forth at 1,750rpm as a result.

"Buyers looking for a vehicle that will make an impact will be in their element with the X6."

The genius of the X6 is the way it manages to stay so stable and poised on the road. It's tall, with a higher centre of gravity than some ground hugging sports car but for a vehicle of such proportions it stays remarkably flat in corners resisting lean and responding sharply to steering inputs. It's often said that a good handling car shrinks around you feeling far more compact and nimble that its physical size would lead you to expect. That's the X6. Putting all that power down on to the road is no mean feat but the xDrive 4x4 system manages it with little drama. It's also possible to order the Adaptive Drive system with this model and that further improves the handling by constantly tweaking the anti-roll bar and damper settings.

Things have moved on in terms of vehicle dynamics since the BMW 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.

The cabin is a different story from the snarling exterior. The BMW design themes are carried over from the other models in the range and which the quality is good and there's a classy feel to the environment, there's little to remind you that you're in such an extrovert piece of machinery.

The X6 xDrive50i 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 a unique 19-inch wheel design. There's also self levelling rear suspension, Nevada leather upholstery and a more aggressive looking kidney grille and tailpipe combo than the standard cars.

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. 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.

EfficientDynamics technology features across the X6 range but you do suspect it might be fighting a loosing battle in the X6 xDrive50i. The combined cycle fuel economy figure is 22.6mpg which is very impressive for a car this big with this kind of power but fairly awful by most other standards. Emissions of 299g/km will accrue some hefty taxation but again, they aren't bad compared to other petrol-engined luxury SUVs.

EfficientDynamics 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.

BMW has done sterling work in engineering the X6. Whether it should have bothered is another question altogether. The ethics of a giant V8-engined four-wheel drive coupe in this day and age may be open to doubt but you can't really argue with the way the concept has been executed. The X6 is at its most imperious in xDrive 50i form offering the luxury of a top end 4x4 with the handling and performance of a grand tourer.

Buyers looking for a vehicle that will make an impact will be in their element with the X6. It's a striking looking thing and quite unlike any other product currently on sale. It may be a little too over the top for European sensibilities but some will find it suits them down to the ground and in the US, it looks likely to go down a storm.

TOP 5 X6 DEALS

The results below show the top X6 deals on buyacar

BMW X6 xDrive40d 5dr Step Auto [Dynamic] Diesel Estate
Price £44,137 Read X6 Reviews	Save £6,723
BMW X6 xDrive30d [245] 5dr Step Auto Diesel Estate
Price £40,384 Read X6 Reviews	Save £5,981
BMW X6 xDrive40d 5dr Step Auto Diesel Estate
Price £42,496 Read X6 Reviews	Save £6,399
BMW X6 xDrive30d [245] 5dr Step Auto [Dynamic] Diesel Estate
Price £42,024 Read X6 Reviews	Save £6,306
BMW X6 xDrive35i 5dr Step Auto [Dynamic] [8] Estate
Price £42,683 Read X6 Reviews	Save £6,372
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