X6 Sports Activity Coupe targeting... Everybody!

Already a pin-up for the growing band of anti-SUV campaigners, BMW's X6 has arrived Down Under. Dubbed the world's first Sports Activity Coupe, the five-door four-seat 2.1-tonne behemoth officially goes on sale on August 11, but was released to the local press this week in Melbourne.

The range currently consists of just two models. Priced from $114,705, the twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder petrol X6 xDrive35i kicks off the local line-up, the other Aussie X6, the twin turbodiesel 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder X6 xDrive35d, is priced from $120,530.

It will not be until February 2009 that the pair will be joined by a range-topping twin-turbo V8 petrol version with a circa-$150K pricetag and fully 300kW! The naturally-aspirated 3.0-litre petrol and single turbo oiler offered in some Euro markets won't come Down Under, says BMW Oz.

We tested the X6 range at its US launch back in May (more here). The prices may have changed (thanks to the hike in the luxury car tax rate), but our initial impressions of preternatural ability on both sealed and loose surfaces were confirmed during our launch drive in the ranges to the northeast of Melbourne this week.

And if the ability of the launch fleet to turn heads was anything to go by, what was also confirmed is the vehicle's ability to stand apart from its mechanical donor model, the X5.

While underneath, the cars are all but identical (save for the X6's tricky new active rear differential and wider offset wheels to increase track), BMW is at pains to point out the X6 shares no external panels with the X5 from which it was developed. Though in photos the cars look strongly related, the differences are more marked in the metal. Indeed, the X6 has a silhouette and stance quite unlike most other vehicles on the road.

BMW seeks to separate the two on engine choices but also standard specification. Though the twin-blower turbodiesel engine is shared between X6 xDrive35d and X5 3.0sd, the twin-turbo petrol engine is X6-only -- at least in terms of all-wheel drive BMWs (it's sourced from 1/3 Series models).

Justifying the near $15,000 premium between corresponding X5 and models, the X6 '35s' get 19-inch wheels, sports seats and steering wheel (with gearshift paddles), keyless entry and start, BiXenon adaptive headlights, a heads-up display, auto high beam and an upgrade audio system complete with USB interface.

BMW Australia didn't place a value on the items in terms of spec-adjustment at the launch, but, take it from us, ordered individually, it's shedloads!

It was reluctant too to put a value on the X6's chassis 'ace-in-the-hole' -- the first application of BMW's Dynamic Performance Control (DPC) differential. In the very briefest of terms, this new electronically-administered differential provides 'vectored thrust' to the rear wheels, as required, to tame both over and understeer. With apologies to three or four generations of Mitsubishi Evo fans, think of it as BMW's own Active Yaw Control.

The system endows the car with quite amazing ability on both loose and sealed surfaces. Indeed, it is a substantial step up on the X5 -- itself no slouch. At this stage DPC will stay X6 only, says the company.

Thus it's this dynamic ability, along with the car's stand-out configuration and a 'measure' of practicality that BMW Australia says will see the car define its own segment. It will also see the car capture sales from as a diverse a group of customers, they opine.

Conquest targets we'll deal with in a moment, but it's worth noting the querying of the X6's practicality is a sore point with BMW. Given the criticism the vehicle has already copped, both here and overseas, the carmaker had all its ducks in a line when the finger was pointed at this week's launch.

Not enough luggage space? BMW says the X6 has more than a VW Touraeg (enough for four golf bags, they protest!)... A question over rear headroom? BMW says the X6 has more than a Mercedes-Benz C-Class... Profligate and barn-door like? BMW points to a Cd (drag) number better than a Smart fortwo and a turbodiesel fuel economy better than a Commodore... [Ed: we can't vouch for the measurements, but we can say that in the petrol 35i and turbodiesel 35d we returned fuel-consumption figures of 12.7 and 8.7L/100km in normal extra-urban running.]

Get the message... Yep, they're a wee bit sensitive?

And whatever you do don't mention there are only seats for four (no five-seat option); the height of the rear loading lip (in reality just a couple of centimetres higher than the X5's); or the fact the car's actually longer than the X5...

Much has been made recently in the local automotive media of BMW's suggestion the X6 will assault the ranks of 911 owners. While it makes for good copy, we're not holding our breath.

In reality, while some of the initial 100 or so orders BMW is holding for the new car come from Porsche owners, it's the purchasers of Range Rover Sport, Mercedes E/CLS and ML-Class and, indeed, BMW's own 5 Series and X5 that BMW is counting as the true targets of the X6.

The X6 is a cracking drive but whether it succeeds in creating a new segment remains to be seen. With only 300 coming Down Under in 2008 (and perhaps up to 450 next year), we're betting it'll be an interesting diversion for those who otherwise would almost certainly have purchased an X5.

That sort of volume means it will also be outsold by its 'sensible' X5 stablemate around ten to one. Sounds about right to us...

(Check out our video of the car and DPC system here)

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