A facelift and new tranny give the
BMW X6 that extra drive it needed during its mid-life crisis
The hulk is back in action, only now
angrier and more powerful than before. You can’t miss the brawny BMW X6 as it
stalks through Indian roads, towering over the lesser machines. Not many have
dared to genetically alter an SUV, merging it with a coupé and a sports car;
which has been the USP of this oversized X. After four years of existence in
our country, BMW have refreshed their flagship SUV and made improvements which
aren’t just skin-deep.
It’s re-styled and gets a fresh new face
with a sharper headlight design and a new kidney grille, clearly indicating its
BMW genes. There’s a shapely new front bumper, with re-positioned fog-lamps and
a different pair of air dam. The very attractive and, sadly, optional ($5010)
full LED adaptive headlamps with the new shape corona rings are also on offer,
distinguishing it from the outgoing one.
A
facelift and new tranny give the BMW X6 that extra drive it needed during its
mid-life crisis
There isn’t much difference in the side
profile, though, and it retains the dynamic and tall SUV styled front half and
the drastically dropping, coupé-ish roof-line on the trailing end. The rising
shoulder-line and imposing boot give it an aggressive stance like a predator
out hunting for its prey. A new set of double-spooked alloys shod with massive
19-inch run-flat rubber look good, offer great traction and, owing to low
resistance, even help save fuel. The rear design of this SUV doesn’t have many
changes, apart from the wrap-around tail- lamps, which now come with LEDs.
Among the several new shades that BMW have on offer, our test vehicle’s Deep
Sea Blue color is an appealing option.
The gorgeously carved out cabin has been
given a dual-tone black-and-beige treatment, with elegant wood and brush-metal
highlights. The simple design remains pretty much untouched and so is the
top-class German craftsmanship. The layout, however, is very driver-oriented.
The steering wheel comes equipped with gear-shift paddles and even the driving
position is quite engaging. You sit high on the sporty front seats with good
all-round visibility, the only exception being the view from the narrow rear
windscreen. However, the rear camera and the new 360-degree ‘Top View’ give
excellent view of the surroundings.
The
gorgeously carved out cabin has been given a dual-tone black-and-beige
treatment, with elegant wood and brush-metal highlights
The X6 is packed to the brim with new-age
technology. The ConnectedDrive gets all your phone contacts and even the
picture of the caller on the main display. The free app ‘BMW Connected’ brings
your social media and appointments, etc. to your car. Then there are features
like the Hill Descent Control, Adaptive Brake Light, iDrive with navigation
system and electrically adjustable front seats with memory.
I was happy to see a new eight-inch monitor
with DVD player placed between the front seats, so your kids or friends can
remain occupied while you focus on munching the miles. The rear seats seem more
practical now, as a new bench-type seat replaces the older Captain Chairs, and
can accommodate three people comfortably. Under the SUV’s haunch lies 570
liters of luggage space and, unlike other BMW siblings, there’s even an
emergency spare tire.
The most vital change is under the hood.
Similar to the outgoing xDrive30d, the new X6 xDrive40d sports a 3.0-liter
straight-six motor, but now whips out a surplus of 71 PS and 80 Nm, lunging
maximum power to 306 PS at 4,400 revolutions per minute and peak torque to 600
Nm, which is available from as low as 1,500 RPM. This is due to the two
turbo-chargers that work in sequence, giving the two-ton SUV performance like a
sports car. Adding to the super power is an all-new eight-speed automatic,
which is ultra- smooth and swift and it not only improves performance, but also
raises efficiency. On the road the gear shifts are seamless. Every time I
shifted a gear up, it just caused a smaller rev interval, almost imperceptible.
Moreover, shifting to the eighth gear reduces the number of revolutions at high
speed, lowering fuel consumption and engine noise. Staying on the topic, the
flat-six are more noisy than competitors, but the BMW engineers have made sure
to keep the cabin relatively insulated from the clatter.
Staying
on the topic, the flat-six are more noisy than competitors, but the BMW
engineers have made sure to keep the cabin relatively insulated from the clatter
Like most of the other X series, the X6
also gets sophisticated chassis tuning and the intelligent xDrive all-wheel
drive with Dynamic Performance Control (DPC). I had to struggle to get a more
dramatic action during the photo shoot, for whenever the Dynamic Stability
Control (DSC) detected under-steer or over-steer, it reduced the torque and
applied brake individually to the wheels, stabilizing the SUV within
milliseconds, which is a good thing otherwise. The X6 does feel more dynamic
and agile to drive, while being safer too. Surprisingly, even the Servotronic
equipped steering feels precise without being overtly heavy and is also more
comfortable to use during parking.
While cornering, one would expected this
i.6-metre tall SUV to be topsy-turvy like a boat, but it defied most
pre-conceived notions by steering into every bend with impressive ease, even at
high speed and remained securely on track. The DPC distributes the drive power
on the rear axle smoothly between the rear wheels and the torque is increased
on the wheel with the greatest traction. Having wide 2,195 mm of rear track,
with chunky 255/50 R19 wheels keeps the X6 securely glued to the tarmac, giving
the illusion that I was driving a tank. And, like a tank, it does scare small
on-road bullies, forcing them to keep a safe distance from it. However, getting
sufficient parking space in overcrowded cities is a challenge.
The
DPC distributes the drive power on the rear axle smoothly between the rear
wheels and the torque is increased on the wheel with the greatest traction
The X6 is stunningly fast too. During our
performance test it shot from o to 100 km/h in just 6.92 seconds, which is
almost two seconds faster than the old X6. Quarter mile is achieved in just
io.8i seconds with terminal speed of 157.64 km/h dazzlingly faster compared to
the old car’s i6.o seconds at 138.59 km/h. And the quicker roll-on figures make
it more fun to drive within the city too, passing slower traffic with ease and
quickly regains momentum after spoilsport speed-breakers. Raging like a super
hero, the brawny SUV clobbers unsuspecting sedans to bits with its spry
performance. Pacify the monster and the xDrive4od returns nine km to a liter in
the city and 12 km/l on the highway, an increase of 1.5 km/l and two km/l respectively
over the older xDrive3od.
BMW
X6 xDrive40d back
BMW are offering the new X6 in two trims.
Innovation, which is more youthful and sporty, comes with features like BMW
apps, Heads-up Display etc. while the Luxury package offers more comfortable
seats along with several additional creature comforts. There’s also the
petrol-powered xDrive50i capable of 407 PS for die-hard petrol-heads. The
xDrive4od is priced at $1,615,000 (ex-showroom), that’s about $50,100 more than
the smaller X5. But then the extra money does give you control over the hulk
and guarantees innumerable head turns.
