BMW's X6 crosses over the fun way

ROAD TEST

BMW X6 xDrive50i

Johannesburg - Just like BMW’s first attempt at a coupé-inspired crossover, the redesigned X6 is still suitably big, bold and more than just a little bonkers.

It’s really imposing and there’s a reasonable chance you’ll get mistaken for a strip-club owner as you cruise around in this racy-looking high-rider, assuming that you’re not one already. But is the X6 really the pointless maker of statements that its detractors say it is?

Look, I’m not going to try to argue that this is a sensible buy or anything of the sort but I can see how its good bits could combine to make it appealing to a much wider audience than the stereotypes might suggest. If you like riding high above the traffic, and you want an athletic-looking vehicle with a sloping roofline and sportscar performance to match, then look no further than this or the GLE Coupé, now that Merc has followed BMW here.

BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive hardware will even put dilapidated dirt paths and milder offroad trails within reach, as long as you’re willing to risk scraping those shiny 19-inch rims protected only by low-profile rubber.

MORE USEFUL THAN IT LOOKS?

Even the interior is not as impractical as you might expect. There’s a fair portion of legroom in the back and enough headroom for an average sized adult or teen, if only just, but if tall and leggy passengers are a regularity then you might want to opt for the X5 instead. The boot, with its standard electronic mechanism, swallows a reasonable-sounding 580 litres and there is a rather long loading area but it’s also fairly shallow so you’re not going to fit tall objects without folding the back seats.

But that’s enough sensible talk for one day. To get the nod, this hedonistic machine must pull the right heartstrings with its combination of looks, luxury and driving pleasure.

BMW has played it safe with the exterior design, perhaps a bit too safe, though it thankfully retains a familiar silhouette, with its long bonnet and coupé-like sloping roofline. Fittingly, the cockpit hardly defers from BMW’s modern design template, and it strikes a good balance between looking the sporty part and exuding the quality vibes that you’ll expect at this level.

The iDrive touch controller is easy enough to work with and it’s linked to a 10.2 inch high-res colour screen with 3D map display for the satnav, which is standard on the xDrive50i petrol model featured here, along with head-up display, surround-view monitor, 16-speaker surround-sound system and four-zone climate control.

POTENT TWIN-TURBO V8

This BMW plays the luxurious, refined and cocooned part well, to the point where you might wish to hear its lusty V8 growl with a bit more intensity. This makes its foot-flat acceleration all the more deceiving. The xDrive50i’s 4.4-litre twin-turbo direct-injection V8 delivers a mighty 330kW punch and 650Nm, allowing it to leap off the line with ferocious intensity. Against our clock at altitude, it got to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds and flattened the quarter-mile in a shade under 13 seconds.

Those are very impressive numbers for a big beast that tips the scales at 2.2 tons, although it’s worth mentioning that it is around 40kg lighter than the old X6, depending on the model. This, along with idle stop technology and available Eco-pro software are meant to appease its fuel thirst somewhat but make no mistake, this is still a guzzler. Our consumption readout hovered around the 15 litres per 100km mark for most of our time with the 50i, peaking at 21.5 after the performance testing. We reset it after that, but the best open road figure we could achieve on the way home from Gerotek was 12.3 l/100km. Oh well, you have the budget. right?

Through the twisty bits the X6 corners about as well as gravity will allow a vehicle of this weight and stature, it is really agile and the steering is pin-sharp accurate. That said, the steering does feel on the light side and the large rim size detracts from the fun factor, although that does all add up to an easy time in the parking lot.

As with its sedan siblings, the X6 can be tailored to your driving situation or mood through the ‘Driver Experience Control’ gizmo, with EcoPro, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes that tinker with the throttle response, engine management and the shifting characteristics of the eight-speed autobox.

The xDrive50i comes with an air suspension system with Dynamic Damper Control, which dishes up a comfortable, if slightly firm, ride and, all considered, this is a very well balanced chassis given the ride/handling tightrope that this vehicle is expected to walk.

VERDICT

If the new X6 is on your radar, you might just feel inclined to fully embrace your madness and just go for the 423kW M version, yet the xDrive50i still offers a huge portion of the performance and panache in a more comfortable wrapping that, at R1 173 773, costs over 500 grand less. I dare say it’s sensible, then, by “pointless” car standards at least.

FACTS

BMW X6 xDrive50i

Engine: 4.4-litre, V8 twin-turbo petrol

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic

Power: 330kW @ 5500-6000rpm

Torque: 650Nm @ 2000-4500rpm

0-100km/h (tested, Gauteng): 4.5 seconds

Top speed (claimed): 250km/h

Consumption (claimed): 9.7 litres per 100km

Consumption (tested): 15.5 litres per 100km

Base price: R1 173 773

Maintenance Plan: 5-year/100 000km