Automotive

BMW promises its 530-horsepower X6 is not an SUV, it's just practical like one

BMW promises its 530-horsepower X6 is not an SUV, it's just practical like one
The new BMW X6 is outwardly young and funky, inwardly highly practical and family-friendly
The new BMW X6 is outwardly young and funky, inwardly highly practical and family-friendly
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Back seat interior highlights of the new BMW X6
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Back seat interior highlights of the new BMW X6
Exterior highlights of the BMW X6
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Exterior highlights of the BMW X6
Cabin highlights of the BMW X6
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Cabin highlights of the BMW X6
The regular BMW X6 model vs the M model
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The regular BMW X6 model vs the M model
Storage and rear exterior for the BMW X6
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Storage and rear exterior for the BMW X6
The 19-to-22 inch lightweight alloy rims on the M models
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The 19-to-22 inch lightweight alloy rims on the M models
The X6 cabin
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The X6 cabin
xOffroad package adds air suspension, off-road modes, a rear diff lock and underguard protection
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xOffroad package adds air suspension, off-road modes, a rear diff lock and underguard protection
BMW X6 highlights
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BMW X6 highlights
Welcome light curtains
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Welcome light curtains
Ambient interior lighting is standard
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Ambient interior lighting is standard
Big, comfy back seats with optional entertainment touchscreens
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Big, comfy back seats with optional entertainment touchscreens
If you like big kidneys, you'll like the grille of the new BMW X6
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If you like big kidneys, you'll like the grille of the new BMW X6
Standard seats in Vernasca leather
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Standard seats in Vernasca leather
Spunky split armrest
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Spunky split armrest
M motor offers up to 530 horsepower
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M motor offers up to 530 horsepower
BMW leans into the whole big-grille thing by offering optional nostril illumination
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BMW leans into the whole big-grille thing by offering optional nostril illumination 
The new BMW X6 is outwardly young and funky, inwardly highly practical and family-friendly
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The new BMW X6 is outwardly young and funky, inwardly highly practical and family-friendly
Head-on look at the X6
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Head-on look at the X6
Gently sloping roof lets you almost convince yourself you're not driving an SUV
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Gently sloping roof lets you almost convince yourself you're not driving an SUV
Quite a handsome profile
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Quite a handsome profile
Can drive under bridges
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Can drive under bridges
Can drive over bridges
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Can drive over bridges
Can drive in cities
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Can drive in cities
Light up the nostrils, lads, we're in the big smoke!
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Light up the nostrils, lads, we're in the big smoke!
Sporty performance options include active roll stabilization
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Sporty performance options include active roll stabilization
View gallery - 26 images

BMW feels like it's really onto something with its half-coupe, half-SUV "Sports Activity Coupe" X6, which gives you family-grade practicality while still attempting to look a bit cool. The new model gets giant, light-up kidney grilles and up to a supercar-adjacent 530 horsepower.

If you're really prepared to give up all pretense that you're still young, virile and fancy free, BMW's got you covered with the hulking, boxy X5. But if you want to signal to the world that you've got a bit of the ol' shenanigans left in you, a spring in your step, a twinkle in your eye – while still hauling your inconveniently present children around – the X6 is the tool of choice in the BMW rack.

Its gently rearward sloping roof is designed specifically to camouflage the fact that you've reproduced, going so far as to tint the rear windows so nobody can look in there and see the apple core and corn chip disaster area your spawn are creating as you flex and wink at the hottie in the two-door next to you at the lights.

Gently sloping roof lets you almost convince yourself you're not driving an SUV
Gently sloping roof lets you almost convince yourself you're not driving an SUV

Sure, you lose the top back bit of your storage space, but there's still 1,500 liters (52.9 cu ft) back there if you fold the seats down, and if you squint from certain angles, you can almost convince yourself the X6 is a sporty coupe that's just been stretched a little vertically. In all fairness, as crossovers go, this is a nice looking machine, especially if you like a big set of kidney grilles. Which some people must, because BMW is now offering you the ability to light the things up and call even more attention to this car's giant, gated nostrils.

BMW leans into the whole big-grille thing by offering optional nostril illumination
BMW leans into the whole big-grille thing by offering optional nostril illumination 

It's a tiny bit bigger and a hair lower than the previous X6 – not so you'd notice, really – and the standard LED headlights can be optioned up to an adaptive Laserlight system, which allows you to run high beams without blinding oncoming traffic as much as 500 m (0.3 mi) away.

It will launch, like nearly all BMWs, with a bunch of different engine options: two gasoline, two diesel, no hybrids or electrics. The lowest power, highest efficiency unit is the xDrive30d, an inline six diesel making 265 hp and returning fuel economy as high as 6.1 l/100km (46.3 mpg). The racehorse in the stable is the gasoline-burning, V8-powered M50i, which makes a monstrous 530 hp if you're prepared to deal with a best effort of 10.4 l/100km (27.2 mpg).

xOffroad package adds air suspension, off-road modes, a rear diff lock and underguard protection
xOffroad package adds air suspension, off-road modes, a rear diff lock and underguard protection

All models are Euro-6 compliant, and all use the 8-speed Steptronic auto with intelligent AWD that's biased toward rear-wheel drive until the going gets slippery. Dynamic damping is now standard, but you'll have to option up the M suspension Professional package if you want active roll stabilization and integral active steering, or the xOffroad package if you want a self-leveling air suspension kit that allows you to raise the car up to 80 mm (3.1 in) at the touch of a button if you want to get it muddy.

Standard driver assist gear includes cruise with braking, auto emergency braking including cyclist alerts, and collision and pedestrian warnings. You'll need to spend extra for adaptive cruise with stop/go functionality, steering and lane control assist, evasion assistance, rear collision warnings, wrong-way warnings, cross traffic warnings, lane change warnings or automatic "park yourself" buttons.

Ambient interior lighting is standard
Ambient interior lighting is standard

The cabin tends toward leathery luxury with hints of sportiness. That includes standard ambient mood lighting, with "welcome carpet" ground lights that guide you toward the doors. There are two 12.3-in displays and BMW's "intelligent personal assistant" if you're the type that talks to your car. The standard seats are sport-adjacent and comfy-looking, but you can option them up to include heating, cooling, or massaging. Indeed, there are also options for thermo-electric cupholders, wireless phone charging, a bangin' 1,500-watt Bowers & Wilkins stereo and an eight-fragrance in-car aromatherapy package to really ratchet up the olfactory opulence.

Slated to be built in the United States, the new X6 will launch this November, with pricing yet to be announced. Enjoy a bunch of photos in the gallery.

Source: BMW

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1 comment
1 comment
Jeff Goldstein
As the owner of a new X3 M40 I don't understand why BMW makes such ugly cars as the X2, X4 or X6. They hold less, cost more and look worse than the odd numbered ones with the squared off backs. No one should be fooled by the X2, X4 and X6. They are still SUV's just not as nice. My X3 will probably never transport any kids but it can fit a couple of mountain bikes and it handles better and is faster than the older generation BMW M3. I can probably drive it faster than people can drive their M3's because it doesn't look like the performance BMW it is. I have driven the soon to be released 2020 X3 M Competition which has a 503 HP engine. It is basically a track car with the body of a moderately sized SUV. The ultimate disguise until you hear it's engine.