The BMW X6 is now more spacious and practical; it gets more
powerful, cleaner engines. But will these changes help it beat its rivals such
as the Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover sport?
Whatever
your thoughts are on the x6’s looks, it’s been a sales success for BMW –
globally at least – and to keep the sales coming in, there’s a new model for 2014,
the interior has been reworked to improve the quality and provide more space
and practicality, while outside it gets sleeker looks. The X6’s engines have
also been made more powerful, yet cleaner and more frugal.
The
launch in December, those engines will be BMW’s six-cylinder entry-level 30d
and performance – orientated M50d diesels, and a 50i V8 petrol. From spring
2015, a 40d diesel will join the range.
So, will the changes be enough to see
the X6 make up lost ground on rivals such as the brilliant Porsche Cayenne and
luxurious Range Rover Sport?
What’s the 2014 BMW X6 like to drive?
The triple-turbo 3.0-litre diesel
engine in the M50d is a real powerhouse, providing huge pull from as low as
1600rpm over a very wide band. With so much torque, overtaking is done with
total confidence, and there's even a pleasant engine note to accompany the revs
– although much of it is artificially played into the cabin.
Noise isn't an issue with the
5.0-litre V8 petrol, which has much more of a growling, burbling character than
you might expect. Press hard on the accelerator and you can see why it is
officially faster to 62mph than the M50d, too, although you'll be hard pushed
to notice any advantage in terms of its in-gear acceleration.
The petrol is also the more refined
engine of the pair we drove, because unlike the diesel, it doesn't send back
any trace of vibration through the pedals of wheel when being driven hard.
Every X6 gets an eight-speed
automatic gearbox as standard, and as with the many other BMWs it's fitted to,
it works very well. When doing its own thing in auto mode, it never changes
down too many gears when pressing on, while in manual mode, changes using the
wheel-mounted paddles are smooth and crisp.
The X6's steering doesn't provide
much feedback, but at least its accurate, and weights up in such a way that you
always place a lot of confidence in it through fast corners. The X6 also
manages to stay extremely flat despite its hefty kerb weight and tall stance.
M50d models come with BMW's Adaptive
M Suspension (a £2495 option on lower models) allowing you to stiffen it up
when the mood takes you. By selecting 'Sport +' mode (one of four), it's at its
firmest, the throttle is sharper, and gearbox primed for even keener changes.
In this state, the X6's handling is impressive, but it can't match a Porsche
Cayenne for initial bite on turn-in and mid-corner grip.
The M50d gets a stiffer standard
suspension set-up than the rest of the range, so it tends to pick up on road
surface impactions more often, and struggles more than the 50i to remain
settled over scruffy roads at low speeds, even in its most comfortable setting.
That said, both cars are comparably settled at faster motorway speeds.
Both, however, suffered some wind
noise around their mirrors once you get up to speed, and the test cars we tried
also suffered some considerable road noise fitted with their 20-inch alloy
wheels.
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