Love it or loathe it, BMW's X6 has been a sales success for the Bavarians and - having been with us since 2008 - the time is ripe for a new one. So here it is; X6, generation two.
Exterior
BMW sold almost 250,000 examples of the E71 first generation car so the 'X5-crossed-with-a-moon-buggy' external formula continues, albeit with a front-end that borrows heavily from the F15 X5. BMW terms the 4,909mm-long X6 a Sports Activity Coupé, with the long bonnet, long wheelbase (2,933mm), short front overhang (890mm) and set-back passenger compartment cited as classic BMW design features, while the high window sill, large wheel arches and a short distance between the front axle and instrument panel tie it in to the rest of the X-family. Bi-Xenon headlights are standard but optional Adaptive LED headlights will be offered for the X6, while it features air deflectors on the front wheel arches, Air Curtains on the front apron intakes and Air Breathers in the side panels to reduce turbulence around the front wheels. Double swage lines along the side are designed to heighten its sense of athleticism, while at the back are 3D LED L-shaped light clusters, matt silver underbody protection and horizontal lines which accentuate the width of the X6. You'll be able to specify the car in one of 11 colours (nine of which are metallic), while aluminium footplates are optional and the roof rails can be finished in high-gloss black or satinised aluminium. Standard wheels will be 19-inch light alloys, with larger sizes optional.
Interior
More luxury, plenty of kit and an equipment package called Design Pure Extravagance are all available for the cabin, the latter of which is separate to the traditional bespoke BMW Individual option, which will be available from launch with model-specific features. Standard specification will include automatic tailgate operation with a soft-close function, leather trim, dual-zone climate control, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and the Driving Assistant safety suite from BMW ConnectedDrive. This includes (either as standard or as options) Head-up Display, Driving Assistant Plus with Traffic Jam Assistant, Parking Assistant, Surround View, Night Vision with Dynamic Light Spot and Speed Limit Info, Online Entertainment and Intelligent Emergency Call functions. Comfort Access, Navigation System Professional with Touch Controller, a high-end Bang & Olufsen surround sound system and the new Rear Entertainment System Professional will also all be offered, in order to soothe the miles away. And every one of these needless capital letters above are BMW's. The X6 promises to be as functional as it can be, given it sacrifices load space compared to its X5 sibling, with 40:20:40 split rear seats allowing multiple configurations and a total capacity of 1,525 litres with the rear bench stowed - this is up from 1,450 litres on the E71. The boot with the back seats up is 580 litres.
Mechanicals
Three engines will be available at launch later this year, with one, two or three turbochargers accordingly - all will be mated to an eight-speed Steptronic sport automatic transmission with paddleshifts. Entry level will be the xDrive30d straight-six diesel with 258hp at 4,000rpm and 560Nm between 1,500- and 3,000rpm, with 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 230km/h. There will be one petrol, the xDrive50i, with a twin-turbocharged petrol 4.4-litre V8 delivering 450hp from 5,500- to 6,000rpm, 650Nm from 2,000- to 4,500rpm and 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds with a limited top speed of 250km/h. The top-line diesel is the most interesting, featuring the triple-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six diesel and wearing M50d badging, due to the involvement of M Performance. Packing a colossal 740Nm from 2,000- to 3,000rpm to back up its peak 381hp from 4,000- 4,400rpm, the M50d can hit 100km/h in 5.2 seconds and runs on to the same electronically pegged top speed of the xDrive50i. Following on in early 2015 will be a twin-turbo xDrive40d with 313hp and a straight-six twin-turbo petrol with 306hp, badged xDrive35i. The launch models have economy figures ranging from 6.0 litres/100km combined to 9.7l/100km, with CO2 emissions rated at 157-225g/km. BMW claims the new car is 22 per cent more fuel efficient than the old model, thanks to TwinPower Turbo technology, the eight-speed auto, plenty of standard EfficientDynamics technology, enhanced aerodynamics and weight-saving optimisation - the new X6 can be up to 40kg lighter than an equivalent preceding example. As befits its nameplate, the X6 comes with permanent xDrive all-wheel drive as standard, while Dynamic Performance Control, Dynamic Drive active roll stabilisation and Dynamic Damper Control will all be offered. The M50d gets Adaptive M suspension as standard, this being part of the optional M Sport package on other variants.
Anything else?
The new X6 will be launched in December this year, with the xDrive35i and xDrive40d models following the three launch cars in Spring 2015.