“Sports Activity Coupe”… now I’ve seen everything.
Welcome to BMW’s newest offering, the 2008 BMW X6 xDrive35i Sports Activity Coupe (SAC). Admittedly, my pre-test drive opinion of this thing was that it must just be an X5 with a smaller trunk and a few more bells and whistles… but the Product Specialist at local dealer BMW Of Darien was quick to point out that the X6 is an entirely different approach to sports utility, and as he finished rattling off all the differences between the two models, I started looking around for a dunce cap to stick on my head.
The X6 really is a different breed, pretty much from any other vehicle out there. One look at the shape of it tells you that much, but the visual effect of the X6 isn’t just an exercise in design - it’s a clue to the entirely unique approach that BMW took with this model. You’d be hard-pressed to find an SUV out there boasting 300 twin-turbocharged horses from an inline-6 like the X6 can claim, and if that’s not enough, the V8 will soon make its debut and bring another hundred horsepower along with it. On top of that, BMW’s xDrive system has been upgraded for the X6 specifically. No longer simply a front-to-rear distribution of wheel power under duress, the X6’s system also allows left-to-right power distribution, putting it on par with some of the better all-wheel drive systems available.
The uniqueness continues inside, with the rear seats split into two full-on buckets, with bolsters and optional sunshades and seat heaters. And given the generous legroom, it’s safe to say there isn’t a bad seat in the house of X6. Of course, it ain’t all gravy… that coupe-like roofline makes headroom fairly awkward for 6-footers or anyone with an 80’s hairdo.
Enough talk, let’s get to driving.
With 300 horses on tap and turbo lag nowhere to be found, the X6 can haul its big bubbly ass past pretty much anything on the road. And trust me, in front of the pack is where you want to stay, because the view out the back of that tiny rear window is Lamborghini-sized. BMW did resolve this issue from a parking standpoint, with Park Distance Control (sonar sensors) standard and a backup camera available on the Technology Package.
Having driven BMW sedans as well as the BMW X5 SAV, I can say that the X6 definitely shoots the gap between car and SUV quite nicely - its ride is taut and steering feel is direct like any good BMW saloon, but at its limit, you’re still going to take a curve 5 mph slower in the X6 than you would in a 3-Series. Not a bad compromise considering the extra capability and space you get with the X6, whose trunk is surprisingly large I might mention.
Now it’s not just that you can drive the X6 like you stole it… rather, BMW expects you to. There are a million ways to configure gearshifts on this car, which isn’t the kind of thing you’ll find on its competitors’ resumes. You can throw the shifter into automatic and let the 6-speed tranny do its thing; you’ve got paddle-shifters on the steering wheel and in this case, they can be used to make an immediate up or downshift, before the trans returns to auto mode. If you pull the shifter over to the left, you’re in Sport mode… it’s still automatic, but now the shift pattern is more aggressive. Once you move the shifter up or down from that point, you’ve moved into Manual mode, which can be utilized either through the shifter or the paddles. It’s a bit too much fun eminating from a 4,900 pound sculpture whose rear hips monopolize the view from your side mirrors.
The 2008 BMW X6 starts at $52,500, and with typical options and packages as tested here, retails for $57,000. Find out more about the X6 at BMWUSA.com.
DealerDex New Car Reviews are conducted at participating dealerships. We’d like to thank BMW Of Darien in Darien CT, and MINI Of Fairfield County in Stamford CT, for assisting us in the demonstration of the 2008 BMW X6.
