BMW X6 2008 News

Manufacturers including BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Peugeot and Citroen have issued recalls via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced another round of safety recalls, with models from Mazda, Holden, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Jaguar affected.

Mercedes-Benz will build a new low-roofed coupe-SUV crossover to face off against the BMW X6. A Mercedes executive told Car and Driver magazine that while an X6 rival would be something of a bizarre vehicle, it would make a lot of financial sense for the German carmaker. The executive said the business case had a strong foundation in that development costs would be relatively modest, while profit margins would be high. The crossover segments are growing around the world: not only in Australia, Europe and the US, but also -- and possibly more importantly -- in the developing markets of Asia, So Mercedes logically believes adding more to their lineup makes good business sense. Mercedes first hinted at a low-roofed coupe/SUV chimera a couple of years ago, when it announced that it would begin producing a second model alongside the M-Class at its Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant in the US. A Mercedes publicity image showed a cloaked vehicle with the profile of an X6 rival, with the tagline "Start of Production: 2015." The new model -- which is likely to be based on the M-Class -- would slot into the line-up as a big brother to the recently-unveiled GLA-Class. But they're not the only German brand to be eying the success of BMW's X6. Audi has also discussed the possibility of developing a sporty, low-roofed crossover. As far back as 2011, Volkswagen Group head of design Walter de'Silva said Audi was planning to launch a sporty crossover that would slot between the Q5 and Q7. Unofficially known as Q6, this crossover could end up being a bit smaller than the midsize X6 and ML-based vehicles; in which case it would more comfortably be positioned against the future BMW X4. www.motorauthority.com  

The twin-turbo V8 in the muscular new mid-sizer is stretching the friendship with the back tyres in the fifth-generation M5 and there are concerns about customer reaction in snow-belt countries around the world. An all-wheel drive upgrade is the logical solution and BMW M chiefs from Munich admit they are considering the move. "We are thinking about it," says Max Ahme, M5 project leader. "If you are increasing the power more and more, maybe you need it." The basic powerplant in the M5 is the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 already used in the M versions of BMW's full-sized SUVs, the X5 and X6, but is tweaked to unleash 412 kiloWatts of power and 680 Newton-metres of torque. "The block is the same, but the cylinder heads are new. The inlet track is new, it has double Vanos (variable valve timing) and more revs. So, more power," says Ahme. He refuses to go into much detail but it's clear that BMW M is making a serious assessment of its first all-wheel drive passenger car. "It's a good idea, but it would add 120 kilograms to the car and it's all over the front axle," says Ahme. Other companies have made all-wheel drive conversions successful, including Ferrari with the lightweight system fitted to its new FF supercar. Ahme admits BMW has had an FF in its workshop, although he believes the system would not be suitable for an M5. "We have looked at this car. We do some swaps with Ferrari." But Ahme is totally black-on-white on one potential stretch of the M5, into a new Touring wagon. "This will not happen," he says. There have been three M5 Touring models in the past but the sales record of the car is not good, and numbers dropped dramatically in the previous-generation car. "It does not make any sense. Just look at the numbers," says Ahme.

The upcoming 520i, priced from $77,900 instead of the previous $82,000 for a 520d, comes after an earlier move on the 3 Series down under. BMW Australia says its objective is to provide better value, as well as a 'stepped' approach to equipment levels that mirrors bottom-end brands from Hyundai and Kia to Holden and Ford. It began the change with the 3 Series and is now moving on the Five with a claim of up to $7000 worth of extra value - most of it in standard equipment - on the 520i. There is also said to be more punch from the engine, which is a new 2.0-litre four with TwinPower turbo good for 135 kiloWatts and 270 Newton-metres of torque. "We've got power up, value up and fuel consumption down. Everyone is happy," says BMW spokesman, Piers Scott. A new four-cylinder 528i - replacing the previous six-pack - is also part of the 5 Series change, with more equipment in the 535i and 535d that means up to $7000 of extra value. Scott says the value boost comes thanks to the engine change but does not deny BMW's stronger emphasis on value at a time when it is taking a battering from Mercedes-Benz and Audi on both sides. "It's really just the fact that this is a brand-new engine that's available to us. That accounts for the 520 and the 528i," he says. "The other changes are to get a logical ladder into the price structure. "The jump from the 520i - which snuggles under the Luxury Car Tax threshold thanks to economy of 6.4 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of  149 grams/kilometre - to the 528i manes 180 kiloWatts and 350 Newton- metres, even though the four-cylinder basics are the same. The 528i is priced from $98,200, helped by also qualifying as a low-emission model under the LCT rules. Prices of the 535i and 535d now start at $115,600 and $120,900 respectively, with the diesel engine now boasting 230 kiloWatts and an eight per cent economy boost, with the 535i also getting a 0.7 litres/100km economy improvement. BMW Australia now also includes stop-start technology on all Fives except the 550i, with its new Active Safety package - closing the windows and sunroof, electro-mechanical belt tensioning and a crash- optimised position for the passenger-seat backrest - also part of the deal.

The field for the COTY contest will be set over the next two weeks as the 100-plus new arrivals this year _ everything from the baby Suzuki Alto to Holden's latest economy-focussed Commodore and the brutally luxurious BMW X6 M, is whittled down by the most experienced team of jurors in Australian motoring.Between them, the nine COTY judges have more than 150 years of combined experience as reporters, testers and commentators on the Australian motor industry.  They also make up the only coast-to-coast crew and are drawn from News Limited daily papers and the Carsguide.com.au website.The first group of five COTY finalists will be named next week, with the final members of the 10-car field locked into place the following week.  Once the field is set, the judges will assess the contenders for their value, safety, economy, safety, style and comfort.  The objective is to find the car that does the best job in every area, at the best price, for Australian car buyers in 2009.The test process is exhaustive, from city, country and highway running to a racetrack session at Lakeside in Queensland to assess the car's dynamic and safety abilities.  The 2009 COTY will join a long and strong list of previous winners from the Holden Commodore VT in 1997 to the Ford Falcon G6E, which took the crown in 2008.This year's COTY contest begins today with the naming of the four cars which will fight for the Green Car of the Year award. For all the stories, video and photos of this year's awards, visit Carsguide Car of the Year 2009. Make One Degree of difference today by calculating your carbon footprint and finding out what you can do to reduce it.

Just in time to be the latest status symbol for summer.The X6 is an unlikely marriage between an X5 SUV (on which it's based) and a 6 Series coupe, producing a supersized offspring.This is niche marketing at its best, a low-volume model targeting a specific but high-profile audience. BMW has even coined a new designer name: the Sports Activity Coupe.Calling it a coupe may be a bit of marketing tongue-in-cheek, but in Europe, where it has only been on sale for a couple of months, it's been getting plenty of nods of approval and attracting plenty of head turning.The X6 xDrive 50i, priced at $145,000, joins the lesser-powered bi-turbo six-cylinder petrol ($114,705) and diesel ($120,530) which gives BMW a three-model line-up to steal sales from rivals, Porsche and Range Rover.BMW is still counting the numbers but says it has already found homes for about 105 of the six-cylinder X6s. It has tipped total X6 sales for the year will exceed 300 with the arrival of the V8 in three months time.Those sales are predicted to rise to between 400 and 500 wagons next year.And who is buying it? Obviously those with plenty of testosterone in reserve.BMW spokesman Toni Andreevski says the X6 will appeal to Range Rover or Porsche buyers or those seeking a more macho wagon than conventional SUVs such as the X5 which attracts women drivers.“We see it appealing to people like 911 owners who want a second car, one which seats more than two and has the luggage space so they can take their friends down to their yacht, or away for a skiing weekend,” Andreevski says.The X6 is anything but conventional; purists would argue it is not a coupe because it has four doors, the plump styling with its dramatically sloping rear roof line is, to be polite, challenging. It only seats four, rear head room is passable, the view through the letterbox rear window is almost non-existent and the V8 is less than green friendly.But while history is littered with one-hit wonders it also shows some of the world's greatest cars were less than conventional, so BMW may have the last laugh after all.There's no question the X6 packs an awesome punch: the direct injection, twin turbo (one for each cylinder bank) 4.4-litre V8 is a first from BMW. Neatly tucked away under the bonnet, the V8 provides 300kW and 600Nm of torque to play with through a six-speed sequential auto transmission.Peak torque is on tap from 1750 to 4500rpm, providing wonderful flexibility and outstanding sports car-like performance. The same engine, slightly detuned, will also be used in the next Seven Series due next year.BMW points to its “frugal” fuel consumption (a relative description for such a powerful all-wheel drive vehicle that weighs in at over two tonnes) of 13.8 litres per 100km.On fuel consumption and gas emissions the X6 however betters the naturally aspirated Porsche Cayenne (15.1 litres per 100km; 361g/km) and the Range Rover supercharged Sport (15.9 litres per 100km; 374g/km).It's also more powerful, in both peak kilowatts and torque, than its rivals.While X6, governed to 250km/h, can't quite match the maximum speed of the Cayenne, it is quicker in acceleration, taking a claimed 5.4 seconds to hit 100km/h.As for the drive? The X6 is both remarkable and a little annoying. You would expect a cumbersome looking all-wheel wagon to be a pig when pushed. Far from it. There's sports car handling in its road manners.That is helped of course by its power and torque output, but that's all well managed on the road thanks to some very clever electronics that BMW has used.While xDrive distributes drive between front and rear axles, the really smart bit is the inclusion of what BMW calls Dynamic Performance Control, which varies the torque between the rear wheels — designed to deliver more torque to the outside wheel which needs it to drive it out of a corner. Add massive 385mm brakes and 20-inch wheels shod with wide rubber, adaptive steering, a self-levelling pneumatic suspension and the X6 has an ability to rocket out of corners.Creature comforts for Australian models will include a revised version of BMW's controversial iDrive, a choice of four trim finishes, power adjustable front seats leather upholstery, heads-up display, four-zone automatic air conditioning and a 16-speaker hi-fi audio system. SNAPSHOTBMW X6xDrive 50iPrice: from $145,000Engine: 4.4L/V8 twin turbo; 300kW/600NmTransmission: 6-speed sequential autoPerformance: 0-100km/h 5.4 sec. 

Seven of the 11 winners in Germany last week were turbo-charged units, which reflects the major part the technology is now playing in efforts to improve fuel economy and curb emissions.Six companies collected prizes, but one brand had more reason than most to celebrate.BMW dominated the competition, claiming half of the awards including the top honour, International Engine of the Year.That accolade went to its 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder unit available in the 135i, 335i and X6.It is the second year in a row the engine has won the top gong.The German firm also claimed the New Engine of 2008 title with its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, available in the 123d.Other winners for the company were the 4.0-litre V8 found in the new M3 and the 5.0-litre V10 in the M5 and M6.BMW's joint venture with French company PSA also paid off. The 1.6-litre turbo-charged four-cylinder used in the Mini and Peugeot 308 won its class.“BMW rightly views these awards as the highest industry recognition of its outstanding achievements in engine technology and manufacturing,” BMW director of power-train Peter Langen says.“It is an honour for our 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine to have earned the highest accolade for the second year running. And we are truly delighted that so many of our other engines have been judged class leaders.”The other multiple winners were Toyota and Volkswagen/Audi.Toyota's hybrid synergy drive, which powers the Prius, won the inaugural Green Engine of the Year prize.It's not the first time the engine has been honoured, though. It has previously won 10 gongs in the annual awards.Toyota's other winner — the 1.0-litre unit that powers the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1 — came in the under 1.0-litre category.Like BMW, Volkswagen/Audi was honoured for its forced induction engines.The 1.4-litre TSI engine, which uses super-charging and turbo-charging, won its category. It's other winner was the 2.0-litre turbo motor in the Audi A3, VW Golf GTi and Skoda Octavia.That engine drew particular praise for not only its performance and economy but its flexibility.The 2.0-litre unit comes in a variety of tunes — 125kW, 147kW, 195kW and 200kW — to suit different vehicles, including the new Audi TTS.“The benchmark for efficiency and performance in its category,” was one comment from the judges. “A great example of an engine that's so flexible it can deliver the right solutions for a variety of vehicles.”Porsche won the performance engine award with its 3.6-litre turbo from the 911 turbo and 911 GT2.Subaru was the only other winner with its 2.5-litre turbo.British specialist magazine Engine Technology International is responsible for the awards, which are voted on by 65 motoring journalists from 32 countries, including Australia.The ceremony was held as part of the 2008 Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany.The awards are held in high regard by the automotive industry because the judges consider the full range of engine criteria: performance, fuel consumption, driving behaviour, driving comfort and the use of technology. The highest industry recognition of its outstanding achievementsThe Winners of the International Engine of the Year 2008 BMW 3.0-litre twin-turboBest new engineBMW 2.0-litre diesel twin-turboGreen engine of the yearToyota 1.5-litre hybrid synergy driveBest performance-enginePorsche 3.6-litre turboBest sub 1.0-litreToyota 1.0-litreBest 1.0-litre to 1.4-litreVolkswagen 1.4-litre TSI twinchargerBest 1.4-litre to 1.8-litreBMW-PSA 1.6-litre turboBest 1.8-litre to 2.0-litreVolkswagen/Audi 2-litre turboBest 2.0-litre to 2.5-litreSubaru 2.5-litre turboBest 2.5-litre to 3.0-litreBMW 3.0-litre twin-turboBest 3.0-litre to 4.0-litreBMW 4.0-litre V8Best above 4.0-litreBMW 5.0-litre V10 

That is at least partly true, but those inside the companies do have hearts — and many share our worries. Some have even bigger concerns. BMW, for example. It would be easy to dismiss the German carmaker as a badge brand that is all about flash cars.Look at its headliners — the M3, the new 135i coupe and the forthcoming X6 — and you wonder where the company is going. And why.But talk to its Australian chief, Guenther Seemann, and you see another side.The transplanted German, who arrived in Australia after time in South Africa, China and Dubai, is a deep thinker worried about the future. And not just the future of his sales and profits.“What do we do when petrol is $4 or $5 a litre? Or even when it is $2 a litre?” he asks.“People will react. They will decide it does not make sense to be burning this oil, that it must be used for other things that are more important, like making medicine.”He knows we are approaching a tipping point in the car industry and, while batting the BMW position on future technology, asks how others will get through.“People will not give up their mobility,” he says. “Humans are a mobile race. We will not want to lose our personal transportation. We believe hydrogen is the solution. We've been working on this for more than 30 years.”Seemann is not just talking about electric fuel-cell cars, which use hydrogen to generate on-board voltage, but internal-combustion engines that can use hydrogen as a replacement for petrol. BMW has taken a high-profile approach to its first luxury hydrogen concept car, the Hydrogen7, by offering it to film stars and celebrities for testing.Keys to the cars have been handed to Prince Albert of Monaco, actors Cameron Diaz and Will Ferrell, television presenter Jay Leno and opera star Placido Domingo.However, Seemann knows there is no way of creating that hydrogen or delivering it to the equivalent of a 21st-century petrol station.“The alarm clock went off some years ago, but many people are still sleeping,” he says.“No government, anywhere in the world, is thinking ahead far enough."“They only think about the next four years, to the next election. Australia is the best country for making hydrogen. We have so much sunlight and water. And yet ...”He believes green pressure will grow quickly in coming years, but so will the demand for cars that do more with a litre of fuel — whatever that fuel might be.“Car companies can react very quickly to pressure. But the only real pressure comes from customers,” Seemann says.BMW will build its first hybrid using the new X6, but has yet to commit to any sort of fuel-cell car for production. 

It's the sort of odd-couple relationship that really shouldn't work ... but does. North America's eternal fascination with giant trucks and muscle machines continues