German Car Zone

What is it?

The most powerful diesel version of the new X6 – BMW’s attempt to cross a sportscar with an off-roader. Put simply, the X6 defies all the well managed marketing logic car makers traditionally pride themselves on.

Most significantly, the X6 acts as a platform for the introduction of some of BMW’s most interesting mechanical developments in years – including a new traction enhancing torque vectoring system that’s set to appear in all of BMW’s four-wheel drive models in future years.

The range-topping diesel version will be far more popular in the UK than the thirsty 50i V8 petrol version. It uses the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged diesel engine that has already appeared in the X5, with 286bhp and 427lb ft of torque. It’s not as quick as the petrol V8, but with a 6.9sec 0-62mph time and a 147mph top speed it’s still one of the quickest SUVs yet.

What’s it like?

BMW projects that only 10 per cent of British X6 customers will choose a petrol-powered version, with the two diesel engines constituting the overwhelming majority of sales.

And, on the evidence of the 35d version, it’s not hard to see why – this is a truly amazing powerplant. Peak torque arrives at just 1750rpm and the standard-fit six-speed automatic gearbox provides near-seamless drive. The steering-wheel mounted selection paddles also allow the ‘box to put in a decent impression of a sequential manual if the mood takes you.

Granted, the xDrive35d is 1.5sec shy of its xDrive50i sister in the dash from 0-62mph, but the engine’s massive mid-range urge means nobody is going to notice any real-world deficit. For a car weighing all of 2185kg, the X6 feels both remarkably quick and agile.

Indeed, apart from the elevated driving system – 19mm below that of the X5 but still far taller than conventional cars – the X6 really does deliver on the coupé part of its design brief. It feels like an enormous, tall sportscar, especially with the advanced Dynamic Performance Control torque vectoring system deftly doling out drive to the wheels with the most grip.

It’s surprisingly sensible, too. The combined cycle fuel consumption of 34mpg betters that of the turbocharged V8 by a whopping 11.4mpg. And it manages to avoid the highest band of CO2 taxation too, coming in at 220g/km. Considering the X6’s combination of size and performance, that’s an amazing achievement.

Should I buy one?

The X6 is still a hard car to get your head around, and not everybody will want to. But BMW has succeeded in delivering a car that rewrites the rules on the way an SUV should look and drive – and in xDrive35d guise you can add outstanding performance and economy to the mix.


BMW X6 xDrive35d - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk


M

2185 kg..... oh my......

That's not a surprise. It's actually X5 hardware (+ DPC) with coupeish body. Just like eg. 3er coupe is almost the same weight as its sedan counterpart, so is X6 of approx same weight as X5.

It's a SAV coupe, not a sports car! And mind even 6er isn't exactly light.

With all that style, comfort, safety, technology, performance and to a degree the practical side to the car.... who cares about the weight.

You'd be an idiot to by this car instead of say an M3. You buy the car because of the reasons i mentioned above. This car is bought on emotion.

For me "Driving pleasure" means throw the car into the corner and he just obeys, for that we need agility and to achieve agility we need low weight, BMW should take much more attention to weight than to power, hey you don't need 300/400hp to have fun, you just need a good chassis, and a direct steering, power isn't everthing...but that just me

I agree! That's why I had a smart Roadster-Coupe...and loved it... The pleasure is in the emotion, the sensations, not in the power.

Now we need hard suspensions settings, super-soft and super-wide tyres, an enormous amount of power with gigantic brakes, a fancy complex differential, plus electronic steering and all sorts of things, to achieve just what the cars had naturally some decades ago...

However all carmakers will have to reduce the weight to achieve greenhouse gas rules and low consumption.

The weight, that is the ennemy!

You can only dream of an SUV with agility of a sports-car. Not possible! Laws of physics are above all. No tech or engineering can't overrule them.

"Driving pleasure" is not an absolute term. It's unique in every segment. Only a comparison within segment is possible. It's stupid to argue X6 is not as agile as eg. 6er, or 7er not as 1er. Size & weight do matter.

So ... X6 is is very capable, very agile, very dynamics, very sporty ... FOR AN SAV!!! Best in a segment. But don't be so naive to compare an SUV (although with a coupeish body) with a sports-car.

If you want to experience true driving pleasure, buy a potent, small, light, low sports performance coupe. 911 is a legend with a reason.

But some customers just want an extremely sporty & dynamic SAV(ish) vehicle. And X6 seems to be the best choice for those people.




PS: why weight increase? People want more & more convenience features, more safety features, more luxury features etc. And all that equipment does add weight. And people want more & more power. BMW can easily produce a light car with less power - but that's not what customers in premium segment want (especially not in Asia, ME & USA!). Therefore cars are heavier every time - or at least as heavy as predecessor (due the usage of lightweight materials). Do not blame the car makers - blame the customers: car makers only produce what the majority of customers want. And to sell they have to produce what customers want. That's business. Engineers are victims of marketing.

seriously shocked by hearing complains about the weight of a SUV!! it's a truck !

Please do not forget Europe

The premium segment is governed by European brands : BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini...

Why would that be.. ?

Ok don't take it to personal

I was speaking generally, not especially for the X6.

You speak of the 911, well it too is now way heavier than it was, and as a result the best 911 ever in terms of sensations and feeling is not the 997 GT3 RS and its 415hp, but the old 2,7RS and its today ridiculous 210hp.

The weight is primilary needed by the safety and comfort equipment, but it leads to a vicious circle as we all know.

But I think this vicious circle is about to be broken. The pollution and consumption issue, along with a real desire for simple and effective cars, will make light and simple become trendy and influence the whole car market.

Our cars have reach such an insane weight, 2,5 tons beeing not that unusual in the upmarket, that it is impossible to go on this way.

I just think it is absolutely ridiculous to move two tons of metal just to move one or two 75kgs humans.

Do you imagine it? 2000kgs metal to move between 70kgs and 300kgs human, plus maybe 50kgs luggages? Making the whole 2,5 tons, from which only maybe 15% is the thing to move?