What is it?
People will no doubt spend a good deal of time debating exactly what the X6 is. Is it a sports car, SUV, or coupé, or a combination of all three? Or is it pointless, wasteful and representative of the sort of automotive excesses that car manufacturers should be avoiding in these more environmentally conscious times? BMW admits that the X6 is the most road-biased X car it has ever built, so many will argue why it even exists, but there's no denying that whatever your ideas about a coupé-style SUV, the results on the road are hugely impressive.
It's a rather odd looking car at first, the top half obviously sporting and lithe, the bottom clearly related to cars like the chunky X5. Unusual it may be but it is undoubtedly a grower, looking purposeful and confident. Although there's only room for two in those back seats the boot space is only a bit smaller than its X5 relative. So it's still a practical car, despite its more sporting focus.
Is it any good?
To say the X6 is good is to do it a disservice. The X6 drives quite unlike any tall four-wheel drive vehicle has any right to. BMW has added Dynamic Performance Control to the xDrive four-wheel drive system, giving the X6 quite remarkable agility by apportioning power to the wheel that can best use it. The clever electronics allow it to corner with staggering competence, the suspension containing body roll while still providing a decent ride - despite the massive alloy wheels that come as standard.
The optional Active Steering works well, but also feels a touch odd. There's an unusual feel at the chunky rim, the inconsistent weighting taking time to get used to. The 3.0-litre twin turbo diesel's ample 282bhp and thumping 427lb.ft of torque give the xDrive35d the ability to sprint to 62mph in just 6.9 seconds. Like all the engines in the X6 range it's turbocharged in a bid for more efficient power, BMW also fitting every X6 with its energy saving and scavenging EfficientDynamics technologies, this helping the xDrive35d to return an impressive 34mpg and 220g/km on the official combined consumption and emissions cycles.
Should I call the bank manager?
We'd be tempted to give the bank a call and get a deposit down for an X6 as soon as possible. Indeed, if it's even half as successful as its X5 relative you could be in for a wait unless you've already done so. Some might question the validity of the X6 in the current environmentally aware world, a coupé-styled, on-road, performance SUV perhaps representing the zenith of what green campaigners would consider wrong with the motor industry. But BMW's EfficientDynamics allows it to return respectable economy and emissions against its more conventionally styled rivals, despite its hugely impressive performance. And there'll be a green-conscience salving hybrid arriving in the next few years to throw back at the environmentalists too.
Summary
BMW's genre-busting SUV exhibits an incredible level of poise and control for a car that's so tall and heavy. It makes even its segment defining X5 feel clumsy on the road. That BMW has achieved this crushing ability with palatable economy and emissions through EfficientDynamics and turbocharged engines makes it all the more impressive. You'll spend a lot of time justifying your purchase to people, but when it matters out on the road, you'll revel in the X6's considerable ability.
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