2009 BMW X6

STORY TOOLS
Print this	Save this	Digg this
Email this	Most popular	del.icio.us

With the eagerly anticipated unveiling of the 2009 BMW X6 this week at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, BMW is pioneering a brand-new market segment for itself. Based on the second-generation X5, the dramatically styled X6 sets out to combine the utility and go-anywhere appeal of an SUV with the sporting driving characteristics of a high-performance coupe.

The result is more car than crossover, a tall passenger package that does business with some real horsepower. BMW hopes the X6 will reinforce its presence in the market for luxury four-wheel drives and also provide the impetus for other new similar models, including an X3-based X4 that is rumored to be taking shape at the German carmaker's headquarters in Munich.

While the 2009 BMW X6 shown in Frankfurt this week is billed as a concept, little about it is expected to change by the time it reaches production next spring at BMW's factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Bulging With Bulk
There's a pleasing resemblance to BMW's competition-bred X5 Dakar desert-stormers in the X6's bullish styling, which has been created by a team led by BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk. Its muscular appearance takes various cues from the X5, most notably the front end and bulging wheel arches. Meanwhile, the car-style greenhouse and dramatically sloping roof line is reminiscent of the BMW 6 Series coupe.

This unnatural combination leaves the new BMW X6 with an uncharacteristically high rear end. Fortunately this detail serves a purpose, as it incorporates a split tailgate. You can access your sports gear, take a seat while putting it on and have a bit of shelter from the elements.

This is definitely a big car. Sitting on a 115.5-inch wheelbase, the X6 stretches 192.0 inches overall, and it's 78.1 inches wide and 66.8 inches tall. Compared to the generously dimensioned X5, the X6 is 0.9 inch longer and 1.7 inches wider. Thanks to its more acutely raked windshield and shallower side glass, the X6's roof is 2.8 inches lower than the X5.

Power Required
BMW hasn't said anything definitive about the X6's powertrain, but we expect a version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 that will produce 306 horsepower. We also hear rumors of a new twin-turbo 4.8-liter V8 that will pack some 410 hp.

Naturally there's diesel in the X6 plan, and BMW is expected to rely on an updated version of its 235-hp, turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6, plus a twin-turbo version of the same engine that will produce 286 hp. Both of these engines will feature BMW's still-unannounced clean-air response to Mercedes-Benz's BlueTec system.

An M Version on the Way?
Our sources at BMW tell us that there are serious discussions about an X6 makeover by the high-performance M division as well.

Until now BMW has resisted the urge to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Range Rover Sport, but there are signs that the 507-hp 5.0-liter V10 from the M division could be used to create a full-house X6 to provide the German carmaker with a new four-wheel-drive flagship.

The X6's standard engines will be mated to a new ZF-engineered eight-speed automatic gearbox. But any M version would likely be offered with either a conventional six-speed manual transmission or BMW's soon-to-be-revealed dual-clutch gearbox, since the new ZF eight-speed can't handle the high revs produced by the V10 power plant.

Performance With Control
Though BMW doesn't yet want to discuss a rivalry with hot-rod SUVs from Mercedes and Porsche, it's perfectly comfortable with claiming the new X6 will be the most dynamically adept sport-utility you can buy. The X6 will introduce a new version of BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system called Dynamic Performance Control (DPC).

In simple terms, DPC uses a planetary gearset within the rear differential to change the amount of torque delivered to each wheel, and this BMW technology can redistribute power both under acceleration and deceleration. As a consequence, DPC enhances directional stability and lateral acceleration both going into a corner and accelerating out of it.

Other high-tech features for the X6 include BMW's FlexRay electrical platform as seen in the X5. It offers high-speed data transfer to improve the interface among all the X6's various electrical systems.

Sports Activity Vehicle
BMW has not provided any clear launch details about the X6 just yet, but despite its unveiling in production guise at Frankfurt, we don't expect it to reach U.S. showrooms until next summer.

Pricing is also a closely guarded secret, although a BMW official confirms that the X6 will command a clear premium over the second-generation X5, which starts at $45,900 and rises to $54,500.

With the 2009 BMW X6, the term, "Sports Activity Coupe" is being introduced by the bright sparks in BMW marketing. (Didn't we already live through the X5 as a "Sport-Activity Vehicle?") But maybe the idea of something comfortable and spacious matched with all-wheel drive and a powerful engine is not quite as new as BMW thinks. As with any BMW, the proof will come in the driving. — Andreas Stahl, Contributor