This story was originally published in the October 2020 issue of Evo India Magazine
In 2008, the BMW X6 was born. It was an amalgamation of two vastly different body styles; a coupe and an SUV. The front had the muscle of the X5, and the boxy rear was replaced by a swooping roofline. BMW tried to give it an identity by calling it the Sports Activity Coupe, but pretty much everyone called it what it really was, an SUV-Coupe. Critics were divided on the design, yet, close to half a million units of the X6 have now been sold worldwide. BMW clearly knew what they were up to and extended the SAV line down the range. It has now launched this third-generation X6 in India, taking a formula that people can’t seem to get enough of and evolving it even further. When it was launched during the lockdown we were scratching our heads, figuring out how to get our hands on it. Three months down the line, it seems worth the wait.
In the flesh, the X6 looks massive, and towers over the omnipresent small cars on Indian roads. It’s intimidating but in a sexy way. The kidney grille is larger (who would have thought?) but compared to that on the X7 and even the new 4 Series, it's reasonably sized. The grille, with its illumination, glows at night, but the option will set you back by an additional ₹1 lakh. Critics have rambled about BMW grilles way too much recently, so I’ll spare you my thoughts about it.
Compared to its predecessor, the new X6 is 26mm longer, 15mm wider, and 6mm shorter while the wheelbase has increased by 42mm, giving it a larger footprint. Proportions aside, it appears more angular and aggressive; the bumpers house larger intakes, the headlamps and taillamps are sleeker and the character line that previously ran through the door handles is now placed slightly higher. The sloping roofline makes the profile look chiseled. Park it amongst the ocean of SUVs and the X6 stands out like an actor among a group of background dancers. What we have here is the xDrive40i in the M Sport trim with a sportier-sounding exhaust (piped into the cabin via the speakers), blue-colored calipers with M-badging, metal-finished pedals, among many other subtle differentiators over the xLine trim.
Inside, the X6 aligns with BMW’s conventional cabin layouts. The center console is asymmetrical, canted towards the driver, and pleasing to the eye. It is festooned with the new Live Cockpit Professional package that includes a 12.3-inch digital cluster and a touchscreen infotainment system of the same size that gets the latest iDrive 7.0 OS. I like analog dials better than digital displays, but the one on the X6 is crisp and easy to read so I don’t mind it. The iDrive controller knob allows you to effortlessly navigate through a gazillion settings on the infotainment screen.
Speaking of the infotainment, it now features configurable widgets and a variety of ways in which you can operate the system itself — touch, physical buttons, gesture control, and voice commands. In an era where carmakers are eliminating buttons altogether, I appreciate that BMW still has the option of physical buttons. It makes the gadgetry feel like a part of the car and not otherwise. The leather seats look and feel fabulous but with the sloping roofline, headroom at the rear is slightly compromised. However, average-sized adults won’t feel cramped here. The plush cabin is not overdone and despite packing so much technology, it does not feel like a science class.
Coming to the fun part, I configured the engine, steering, and transmission settings to Sport, while the damping is left in Comfort. Drawing 335bhp and 450Nm from BMW’s staple 3-litre six-cylinder motor, the two-tonne plus X6 moves like nobody’s business. One jab at the throttle and the growl from the six-pot, amplified through the speakers, sets the tone for an enthusiastic drive, begging you to exploit the potential of this powertrain. You’re past the 100kmph mark in just 5.5 seconds and the X6 lurches forward to chase the horizon. And it can pounce like that all day long. With every jab of the throttle, there’s a shove-in-the-back response. The eight-speed automatic shifts smoothly and engagement is enhanced with the paddle shifters. This powertrain is engineered to near perfection, there’s barely any turbo lag. There’s a wide torque band as well, with the SUV pulling cleanly from as low as 1500rpm all the way up to 5200rpm.
It’s not just at straight-line speeds where the X6 reorganizes your internals. After hustling it along some sinuous mountain roads, the ride and handling feel almost physics-defying. It’s an exercise that’s in equal parts Mad Max and Iron Man. With its tall stance and bulky SUV proportions, the X6 is ready to blast through the desert but dial the damping into Sport, throw it around corners, and the X6 feels light on its feet, carving corners with minimal body roll. The steering is precise and the grip is phenomenal thanks to sticky Bridgestone rubber wrapped around 20-inch wheels that draw power from the permanent all-wheel-drive system.
We Indians won’t be spared from bad roads though. Being an inherently sporty SUV, the ride is firm. That said, and for what is a quick SUV, it is well-judged and doesn’t get unsettled by broken tarmac. You do feel broken roads, this is no 7 Series, but the body control remains composed. The trim we drove had the adaptive M suspension with steel springs that deliver great ride and handling on our favorite twisties, but on bad roads, you do have to back off. Actually if ride quality is the priority then the xLine trim with adaptive air suspension should offer a more compliant ride over bad roads.
The X5 was already a hit worldwide. It's bigger, roomier, and saves you ₹10 lakh compared to the X6. What's interesting is, the X5 comes loaded with cool stuff like a panoramic sunroof, laser lights, and a head-up display—all standard. Meanwhile, on the X6, you pay extra for those. Even their speed, from 0 to 100kmph, is exactly the same. But the X6 is not your typical SUV. Sure, it's a bit lacking in practicality compared to the X5, but it's a whole lot sexier. This bad boy flaunts a robust powertrain, its ride masks its heft and the interior, its pure opulence. And let's talk about those curves—when you see the X6 from the outside, it's clear that this car isn't just about being sensible and affordable. It's for those who want more, who want to make a statement beyond the usual expectations of an SUV. Ultimately, a coupe like the X6 is meant to turn heads, it's supposed to make people stop and stare for an extra two seconds.
