Driving to the next level
BMW’s pioneering new Sports Activity Coupe is a pricier and sportier version of an SUV, so how does it drive? Asks Adrian Ion
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Among those in the car industry in 2001, a rumour surfaced about a BMW concept car called the X Coupe. Many loved the idea of this new breed, an SUV shaped like a coupe. But very few, including some BMW officials, believed the concept would ever go into production.
However the public’s appetite for the model persuaded the German car group to give it a try and now, seven years on, BMW has decided to launch a whole new class of SUVs.
The most recent model, the X6, has the following features which make it different from its elder brother, the X5. There is one seat less, smaller interiors and boot space, but at a higher price.
So why would anyone buy it?
Consumer behaviour does not always follow logic and a car is often bought with the heart and not the mind. BMW seems to know its target clients and their preferences about cars, so they have launched the first ever ‘Sports Activity Coupe’.
To understand why this X6 even exists, one should get in the driving seat of this all-wheel-drive sports car. From the front, this two and a half tonne SUV does not make one think of a sports car. The only angles that resemble a coupe are those on the side. Yet the futuristic lines of the X6 have a seductive quality that will draw in everyone’s attention.
The X6 takes the driving experience for this type of car to a new level. What also differentiates this model form the X5 is a system called Dynamic Performance Control, which comes as a standard feature on all X6 models and sets this car apart from the crowd. This is a state-of-the-art multi-clutch rear differential that distributes power to the rear wheels independently to improve stability and traction on all surfaces.
This matters also in the day-to-day use, as it makes the X6 handle incredibly well and safely. The Adaptive Drive eliminates the body roll, allowing this car to perform better than many sports cars, giving its driver a sense of safety and predictibility.
Because the suspension is very firm and sporty-tuned, the comfort on more rugged surfaces is not the most enjoyable. But this car feels at home on the motorway, where the big alloy wheels and huge wide tyres give a quiet and pleasant ride.
The X6 is not the most practical car on the road. It only offers four seats opposed to five or seven in the X5, a smaller boot space and a difficult rear visibility. But BMW’s design team has compensated for this by fitting some of the biggest-ever rear-view side mirrors and an on-board rear-view camera. The camera and the park distance controls are a must when ordering the car’s options.
The coupe lines of the rear roof section of the X6 do limit the headroom for rear seat passengers, but this could only be a problem if the height of the occupants is above average.
Engine options
The engines available in the X6 at the moment in Romania are three-litre, all turbocharged, with one petrol and two diesel options. The diesel versions are fitted with the third-generation common-rail technology and come as 3.0 diesel with 235hp and the 3.5 diesel with 286 hp. The petrol version features the prized 3.5 litre 306hp twin turbocharged engine, rewarded with the 2007 and 2008 International Engine of the Year Award.
BMW has managed yet again to create a car that will make history for creating a superb mix of car technology that has born a unique model of Sports Activity Vehicle.
If a driver cares little about increased fuel prices, heavy taxes and is looking for a distinct car with extreme road presence and styling, great handling agility, power and performance, then the X6 will be on the short list.
If you hurry and order the car now you might be lucky enough to see it arrive by Christmas as the demand for the vehicle exceeds even the most optimistic predictions.
Vital statistics
BMW X6 xDrive 3.5 diesel
¦ Starting price: 52,500 Euro+VAT
¦ Engine/transmission: 3.0-litre, V6 twin-turbocharged third generation diesel, 286hp, 580Nm of torque, 6-speed automatic gearbox, xDrive all wheel drive with Dynamic Performance Control and Dynamic Stability Control.
¦ Performance: top speed 236 km/h, 0 - 100 Km/h in 6.9 seconds.
