Review: BMW X6 xDrive40d M Sport
What is it?
It’s a car that certainly divides opinion, that’s for sure! It’s bold, striking and has a lot of on-road presence. Whether you like it or loath it, people keep on buying it, so it’s a win for BMW.
On the road
The X6 is a premium car, so it’s hardly surprising that on any road it’s smooth, quiet and remarkably nimble, and when I say nimble, I mean that it doesn't feel its size - except maybe when you're trying to park in a tight space.
The X6 has a variety of driving modes and, whichever mode you choose, the 8-speed automatic gearbox is seamless, and really suits the single-turbo 3ltr straight-6 diesel lump. Although the 40d is a step up from the least powerful 30d, it’s hardly a slow car as it’ll get you to 62mph in 5.8 seconds.
Switch to ‘Sport’ mode and sink the throttle, and over 300 horses are unleashed. Oh my word, does it shift, it had me grinning like a Cheshire cat.
As we all know, it’s alright having straight line speed, but here in the UK we have things called ‘corners’, but fear not, the X6 handles them with ease. This is helped by being an M Sport version which has adaptive dampers as standard, and of course 4WD. On a car this big you’re bound to have a degree of body roll, but that’s to be expected, however the electronics do a great job of keeping everything under control.
Same can be said for the steering too, is does feel a tad heavy, but personally that’s how I prefer it. From negotiating tight turns in town, or long sweeping corners in the countryside, the X6 handled corners with confidence.
Overall, if you enjoy driving then I reckon you’ll love getting behind the wheel of the X6, even if you don’t like the shape.
Off road
Well, this is where it got interesting as the X6 surpassed all my expectations. There are quite a few videos going round at the moment that show x-Drive BMW’s struggling for grip in snowy conditions. This is slightly unfair as it generally has nothing to do with the 4x4 system, it's down to the tyres.
Granted, the X6 isn’t an off-roader, but then neither are half the AWD SUVs on the market today, but the X6 with its 4x4, and half decent ground clearance, did a fine job off the beaten track. Whether it was along a slippery rocky track or balancing on 2 and 3 wheels, the X6 didn’t hesitate for traction.
I’ll be the first to admit the the X6 looks a bit out of place on a green lane, but I couldn’t stop laughing when I was flagged down on a green lane and asked if I was lost! Bless him, he thought I’d taken a wrong turn or blindly followed my Sat-Nav. No, I was here on purpose!
Interior
The interior is class and the seats are awesome. Can we leave at that? No? Huh…
Although I haven’t driven one yet, I’m told the dash layout is pretty much the same as the X5, which isn’t surprising as that’s what the X6 is based on.
The seats are among the best my backside has had the pleasure in sitting on, they’re ample long enough for my long legs and wonderfully supportive for long interminable journeys, boisterous blasts and of course, off-roading.
I read elsewhere that the biggest problem with the X6 remains its restricted practicality - but why is that a problem? That’s like bemoaning that you can’t fit a couch in your Smart car, because it’s too small, or your ice-cream is cold. The X6 is a coupe styled SUV with a sloping rear end, if you want more practicality, buy an X5!
The X6’s sloping rear naturally dictates that rear visibility isn’t as good as a ‘normal’ SUV, that also means that headroom for tall rear passengers is limited, BUT (see, it’s a big but) that's its charm.
Being a £60k vehicle you assume that it has all the bells and whistles that you’ll ever need, and it does, it’s very well equipped. Muddy Madam appreciated the wide-screen sat-nav system, it’s dead easy to use. On other press cars she’s simply given up, and used the Navigon system on her iPhone 6s, but not the X6.
Engines & Transmissions
When I say ‘transmissions’, I obviously mean the 8-speed automatic one.
Diesel
30d - 258hp - 0-60mph = 6.7 seconds - 40.9mpg combined - C02 = 183 g/km
40d - 313hp - 0-60mph = 5.8 seconds - 40.9mpg combined - C02 = 183 g/km
M50d - 381hp - 0-60mph = 5.2 seconds - 36.2mpg combined - C02 = 206 g/km
Petrol
50i - 450hp - 0-60mph = 4.8 seconds - 29mpg combined - C02 = 227 g/km
Conclusion
Stood in my living room looking out at the filthy X6 that was waiting to be collected, I reflected on our week together contemplating both the positives and negatives, when I came to the odd conclusion that I couldn’t think of any negatives. I absolutely adored this X6, there was nothing about it that I didn’t like as it constantly made me smile - a lot.
During our week together it was a funeral car, a shopping car, commuter, off roader and it was great at everything. Its looks may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but personally I loved it and wouldn’t hesitate at adding one to the Muddy fleet. Though given the choice of this or a Range Rover Sport, it would have to be the latter, but that’s purely down to the off-road ability, otherwise it's the X6 everyday.
Website: www.bmw.co.uk
Price: £60,440.00
Price including options: £67,360.00
