BMW's latest X6 is a confusing mix of SUV and sports coupe. Photo Gallery
BMW'S X6 designers can be accused of many crimes but it is certainly no blunder bus.
The wildly disproportionate styling, a confusing mix of an SUV and a sports coupe gives it an unmistakable identity on the road.
What it does deliver in spades is driving enjoyment. For a 2000kg-plus vehicle it corners with purpose, giving a modicum of credibility to its genre-creating acronym — Sports Activity Coupe.
The two twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engines available at launch offer completely different driving experiences. The 3-litre petrol is a little underwhelming when left to its own devices in Drive. However, when you use the steering wheel-mounted button shifters, it becomes more responsive.
The diesel supplies good doses of torque from low in the rev range and is altogether a whole lot more flexible.
On the highway the X6 is whisper quiet but the serenity is broken by the wind noise coming off the oversized wing mirrors. Some headroom is lost in the rear with the over-accentuated sloping roofline.
The rear glass area is narrow and high, which puts many objects and people at risk when reversing, so BMW includes a reversing camera as standard in all X6 models.
This is one vehicle where a rear view camera is absolutely mandatory.
In terms of a balanced, stable affair the X6 is an excellent unit, even if you can't quite make out whether it is a large SUV or a sportster.
The undeniable story of this car is the DPC, which is a massive advance in stability control.
It allows you to maintain rhythm and power through a corner rather than kill torque and stop progress if there is any hint that traction is lost.
Fuel consumption in the petrol rose to around 19 litres per 100km on a spirited launch drive while the diesel was maintaining around a more than respectable 11 litres per 100km.
Clever electronics notwithstanding, why you would have one remains the big question.
There's no third row of seats, no provision for even a middle seat for the second row so it's strictly a four-seater.
In many ways the X6 defies common logic but since when has motoring been a logical exercise in the 21st century?
BMW X6 xDrive
35d and 35
ENGINES: 3-litre inline twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel (35d) and petrol (35i)
POWER: 210kW @ 4400rpm (35d), 225kW @ 5800-6250rpm (35i)
TORQUE: 580Nm @ 1750-2250rpm (35d), 400Nm @ 1300-5000rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic
DRIVING WHEELS: infinitely variable all-wheel-drive
FUEL CAPACITY: 85 litres
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 9 litres/100km(35d), 12.1 litres/100km (35i), combined city/highway
KERB WEIGHT: 2110kg (35d), 2070kg (35i)
EMISSIONS: 237g/km(35d), 286g/km(35i)
DIMENSIONS (mm): 4877(l), 1983(width), 1690(h), 2933(wheelbase)
PRICES: $120,530(35d), $114,705(35i)
AVAILABLE: from August 11
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