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2009 BMW X6 A recent trend in euro luxury car styling has been the advent of the low-slung, four-door executive coupe. What began with the Mercedes-Benz CLS has now spread to Volkswagen, and even Porsche. But it took BMW to take this theme to the next level. The new X6 is a 5-door crossover utility with the draw of a coupe. But being a BMW, there has to be a lot more to the X6 than just its slick shape. BMW sees the 2009 X6 as a new vehicle type; one that combines the amenities of a luxury SUV with the sexier attributes of their sleekest handlers. It is the world's first Sports Activity Coupe, and the X6 comes with credentials to back up the new name. Its 115.5-inch wheelbase chassis comes from the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle. To that designers added a low-roof 5-door body shell drawn from the vaulted 6-Series. Venomous Xenon Adaptive headlights with auto-leveling flank an upright BMW twin-kidney grille. The hunkered styling exudes power with its sculpted surfaces, sharp-edged character lines, and light-weight 19 and 20-inch alloy wheels, finishing with a fast back-glass, lip spoiler, and integrated dual exhaust. Under its chiseled hood lives one of two twin-turbo power trains. Our test xDrive35i sported a 3.0-liter inline-six, yielding 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. The xDrive50i fits a 4.4-liter V8, thrusting out 400 horses and 450 pound-feet of torque.
The firm ride suspension can be augmented with the Sport Package's electronic damping and active roll bars. The resulting balance and flat cornering goes far beyond other utilities, including the X5. While lacking feel, the optional Active Steering provided the right ratio through varying driving speeds. With tons of grip, even on wet surfaces, the X6 is indeed on par with a well-planted sports coupe. In terms of outright speed, our xDrive35i tester flowed rapidly from 0 to 60 in 6.2 seconds, and capped off the quarter-mile in 14.7 seconds at 95 miles-per-hour. To reign in the X6 are oversized, 4-wheel vented disc brakes. Fade-free stops averaged a fine 127 feet from 60 to 0, and exhibited car-like stability with minimal nose dive.
Seats are supportive with standard power and available heat. A smart seat extension feature offers additional thigh support. Our tester's Premium Sound Package brought an upgraded audio system with a 6-disc DVD changer, while the Technology Package includes navigation and a back-up camera that is truly needed. Like with most coupes, rear headroom is limited, but it handles adults far better than the Mercedes CLS. The split rear seat cabin also has 4-zone climate control, a window shade, seat heat, and a DVD entertainment system. For cargo, the X6 also proved more capable than expected with 25.6 cubic feet behind the second row. That swells to nearly 60 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Government Fuel Economy ratings for our X6 xDrive35i fit its performance image at 15 city/20 highway on premium. We managed 18.3 miles-per-gallon in mixed driving. The Energy Impact Score is a thirsty 20.1 barrels of oil consumed per year, while the Carbon Footprint measures in at 10.8 annual tons of CO2 emitted. Pricing for the X6 xDrive35i begins at a lofty $53,325. That's a $6,600 premium over the X5. The xDrive50i starts at $63,825, and from there the sky is almost the limit. BMW shook up the luxury utility segment with the original X5 Sports Activity Vehicle that blended SUV with sport sedan like never before. Now, with the 2009 BMW X6, they've infused a utility with the styling of a true coupe. It is a niche vehicle type for sure, but also one with the kind of imagination that continues to set BMW apart from the rest.
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Power feeds a six-speed paddle-shift automatic and xDrive all-wheel drive. xDrive has been upgraded with new Dynamic Performance Control. DPC includes a smart rear differential with two clutch packs to direct torque from side to side. In corners it puts extra torque to the outside wheel to quicken turn-in response. It even works when you're not on the throttle.
The low slung X6 offers an upscale 4-passenger cabin blending luxury with BMW's performance DNA. The dash, from gauges to controls, again mimics the X5.