Never did I expect this. With nagging pessimism I accepted the keys to BMW’s new ActiveHybrid X6. At 5,688 lbs, how could this be “sporty” as in “Sports Activity Vehicle” or SAV as BMW have coined it?
Giant 20” Aero-wheels draw me in; seductive lines and powerful curves catch my attention. Is there more to this vehicle than meets the eye? Has BMW reconciled the weight penalty with decisive handling? What is the focus, the purpose of this complex vehicle – that is to say, “where is it at home?”
From the open highway to extra urban commuting, mild off-roading to the race track, we put BMW’s ActiveHybrid X6 through its paces. Read on to discover how BMW’s ActiveHybrid X6 performed through 10 days of our in-depth testing.
Impressions as a Daily Driver:
Like so many of life’s finer things, caviar, cognac and cuff links notwithstanding, I found BMW’s ActiveHybrid X6 to be an acquired taste. The persistent pessimism I tried to suppress did not immediately disappear. Form must follow function; that being the case, why is the X6 sitting so high? Why does it weigh so much? The real question here is: what is the X6 trying to accomplish?
Since the majority of your time behind the wheel will be spent running errands, commuting to work, grocery shopping and picking up the kids, our daily driving impressions will be the first box we check mark.
Some of the basics to look for in a daily driver are as follows: ease of ingress/egress, maneuverability, visibility, fuel efficiency, utility, comfort, and excitement. Here’s how the ActiveHybrid X6 measures up.
Technology has advanced to a level that allows unprecedented comfort and convenience. Approaching the X6 from a distance, it is aware of your proximity and all doors can be unlocked with the touch of a door handle. Sliding into the supportive driver’s seat, you are now one button away from 480 hp. Making a quick stop at the corner store? Simply place one fingertip on the exterior handle, and the doors are locked – keys never leave the linty-depths of your pocket.
Once underway, features such as a rear backup camera and park distance control keep paint on the body, and money in your wallet. Difficult parking maneuvers no longer exist as the trajectory lines on the backup display move with steering input – allowing you to see where the X6 will be if driven in reverse at a given steering angle. Blind spots are under the careful supervision of parking assist detectors; as you approach an object in drive or reverse, audible alerts help you to maneuver within a safe distance. Suddenly the large footprint and honking shoulders of the X6 are shrunk to near compact car sizing.
As a hectic day in the city wears on, the high ride height of the X6 suddenly makes sense. Ingress and egress from the vehicle is effortless, the seat height is near standing position. No climbing into an SUV or dropping into a low slung car; errands are a breeze when you can slide in and out of the X6 so easily.
Nothing can slow you down, things are going so smoo… TRAFFIC JAM! Oh crumbs, we didn’t see that coming. Surely the X6 is no match for the monotony of bumper-to-bumper gridlock. Think again. The X6 strikes back with a brilliant info-tainment system, offering real-time traffic updates and alternate routes around jam-ups. But even if the stop-and-go driving persists, you won’t mind as you relax in the quiet isolation that the luxurious interior offers. Our test car came adorned with custom teal stitching on Ivory white Nappa leather, giving a light, expansive feel to the cabin. Quite honestly, few people enjoy living space as fashionable and vogue as the interior of this SAV.
The automated rear gate is very helpful as you often have your hands full when accessing the rear storage area. The X6 swallowed camera gear, tripods, ladders and duffel bags with room to spare. A maximum 1,350 Liters of cargo space is available with the rear seats folded down.
Once things start moving again, the ActiveHybrid X6 slices through traffic like few cars I’ve ever driven – ease of city driving is impressive. A stiffly sprung suspension keeps the X6 on its toes; steering response is immediate and very sharp. The X6 feels like an eager lion, ready to pounce through city streets. Don’t let its size and weight fool you – this is one nimble SAV. The elevated seating position allows for great visibility as you peer over the rooftops of cars ahead. The urban jungle is this lion’s domain.
While cruising along something magical happens: silence fills the cabin. Tire hum and wind noise are the only audible sounds (and just barely) as you glide along the roadway. With sufficiently charged batteries, the ActiveHybrid X6 turns its engine off, relying on electric power for propulsion. This happened several times approaching speeds up to 60 km/h! At a full stop, the engine will consistently shut off, conserving fuel and reducing emissions. Birds sing loudly, trees clap their branches in approval! Okay, it’s not that “green” with city / highway mileage of 12.6 / 10.3 L/100 km (18.7 / 23 mpg) respectively, but considering the size, weight and ready performance of the ActiveHybrid X6 we are left impressed with the efficiency it achieves.
Continued at BMWBLOG.com
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