A production X6 in the flesh
by Needless to say the X6 is a hefty vehicle in real life, it is very stout and aggressive. The wheels are massive, the lines are bold and it just looks mean! One thing that was apparent was that this machine was built because BMW wanted to build it and prove to the world that it could be built. With that said; what is the point of it? It looks to be designed with driving in mind and little care for utility (the main reason it can not be called an SUV).
The front seats are bolstered, padded and very comfortable; a nice touch the designers included is padding placed on the front center console to cushion your leg in high speed cornering. The interior and dash is adapted from the X5 so there were not very many surprises upfront.The two rear bucket seats are nearly as nice as the fronts and provide similar support. The rear center console and arm rest were a bit of a disappointment in a vehicle of such posh intentions. Head room in the back is ample but a bit low for those over six feet.
The obvious issue with this type of coupe/hatch design and the angles involved is the limited amount of rear visibility it provides the driver; you will need a form of parking assist to prevent scratching the rear every-time you back up! Another thing about that hatch… it is assisted by struts that may be thicker than those on some economy cars out there because of all the weight they need to lift. They can be adjusted to lift the gate to a certain level so shorter people can still reach it to pull it back down and close it, a good idea in theory but there is one issue: If you are taller and open the gate more than the set height it will still open further BUT the dialed in setting will not hold the gate once you let go so it falls back down to the setting and nearly knocks you unconscious (ask me how I know this). A welcomed surprise was a space saving spare located under the load floor in the trunk area.
All in all it is an impressive design and the overall execution is an accomplishment. It will not be on the suburban soccer mom ‘s list of must haves because of the 4 passenger max but it will definitely appeal to those looking for a niche vehicle that appears to drive well (in theory).
We wish we had the opportunity to drive it but that was just not in the cards at this time. We have heard from many that have experienced it on the test track that it drives like it looks. A lot of time was put into the technology of the suspension and torque vectoring all-wheel drive which help it handle so well. We hope to drive this beast in all its glory and when we do you can expect a full review.