What BMW calls a sports activity coupe actually has four doors and looks somewhat like a midsize crossover. In fact, the crossover theme is even stronger this year as the X6 is slightly larger in all dimensions. Even though there's more utility here than before, the X6 remains a dramatically styled luxury ride that's easy to look at and hard to categorize.
What's New For 2015
The X6 has been redesigned with fresh sheetmetal, more rear seat room and updated interior electronics. The optional V8 gets a modest boost in output, and a rear-drive model is available for this first time.
Choosing Your BMW X6
All X6 models now carry five passengers -- the standard rear bucket seats are no more. The two in the back and their new companion will enjoy a useful boost in headroom and legroom. As expected, interior trimming are first-rate, even for this class.
The standard 3-liter turbocharged six-cylinder develops 300 horsepower and can be paired with rear- or all-wheel drive. The available turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 achieves 445 horsepower and comes exclusively with all-wheel drive. An eight-speed automatic transmission is used with both engines.
Trim levels correspond to engine and drivetrain:
Both the six-cylinder and V8 X6 models can be outfitted with two design packages, xLine and M Sport. The xLine features specific 19- or 20-inch wheels and aluminum running boards. The M Sport adds more aggressive trim inside and out, sports seats and some extra performance options.
Beyond all that are several specialized option packages. The Cold Weather package gets you a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats. Adaptive LED headlamps with automatic high-beam control come with the Lighting package. The Dynamic Handling package adds an adaptive suspension and revised steering. Finally, the Driver Assistance Plus package carries all the regular Driver Assistance features, plus adaptive cruise control with automatic braking, a collision mitigation system with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and a surround-view camera system.
As usual, there are some interesting standalone options, including an adjustable rear air suspension, an automated parallel parking system, infrared night vision and a rear entertainment system with dual screens.
There are probably more ways to equip an X6 than you can count. We consider the Premium and Driver Assistance packages (which are already standard on the V8) to be most essential.