2 Reviews

Review
Had the new X6 M for a day and these are my findings...

The looks of it... Subjective. I am no fan of SUVs. Moreover, I don't even know why would someone want a cross between SUV and a coupe. From my point of view, this car is pointless but that's just me because according to sales figures, the X6 M is a successful car worldwide.

Stepping inside, you will realise the car is a step forward in design and quality as compared to the previous generation. No point describing here because you need to go down to the showroom and feel for yourself to know what i mean.

Space wise, not much honestly considering how large the car is. But then people who buy these cars won't be bothered by it.

Being a M car, the engine is a gem. There is some form of turbo lag below 2.5k rpm if you floor it in a high gear but mostly it is wayyyyy to fast for you to even complain about the lag. Gearbox itself is faultless and so is the handling. All drivetrain modes on the car are usable enough for the street unlike some cars.

What I like
- power
- gearbox
- handling
- does not disappoint as a M car
- presence
- colour of the test car. ( turquoise )
- interior quality

What I do not like
- design
- fuel consumption ( expect 5km/l or worse )
- heat from windscreen ( needs window tint badly )
-

Review
I had the pleasure of driving this car over a weekend and boy was I addicted. At first glance, when James from Munich Motors was going through the car's function, I thought it was just another car with radical styling. It was big. It was menacing but looked heavyset and clumsy.

As I drove the car, my impression changed drastically. Indeed this is a car worthy of the M badge. Left in 'normal' mode it drives smoothly with BMW's M sport auto transmission. Push it and the engine emits a fine grunt as the twin turbos kick in. Nothing quite astonishing there. It was just an SUV with enough torque to move it quickly. But, push the M button on the steering wheel and the car switches to maniac mode. Immediately you hear the exhaust note bump up a notch. You feel the engine feeling eager to move. Handling becomes razor sharp and... you forget how big the car is, because in M mode, you feel like you're driving a lightning fast sedan. You start to feel the 500 odd horses coming alive and kicking at the dust, ready to launch the car past legal limits.

Given the huge bhp available, the X6 M is not difficult to handle. Steering and handling are firm and you wouldn't feel overwhelmed by the power. Point it in the direction you want and there it goes. Road feedback was a bit muted though, something most SUV drivers have to deal with.

The exterior styling attracts a lot of debate, so I shall just leave it to the reader. I like it because of the radical styling. Not chunky like the X5, it looks more sleek and lean. But of course there are some who find it outright ugly...

Interior-wise, the usual BMW grandeur (or lack of) applies. For a car this expensive, the interior was more utilitarian or even futuristic, than luxurious. Do not be mistaken, it is luxurious inside, but the high tech look tends to take main stage here.

A lil complain would be the iDrive control wheel for the car I drove. It felt a bit loose and flimsy. Otherwise, the iDrive interface was intuitive and relatively easy to use. It comes with an iPod connector but lacks a proper dock to hold it. You basically plug in your iPhone and it dangles in the arm-rest. Not too cool.

The 'basic' bells and whistles of the M cars are present in the X6 so I shall not elaborate. What set this car apart is it's agility despite its size. If $ is not an issue, I'll buy it now...

What I like
Radical styling
Maniacal acceleration in M mode
Smooth civilized drive in non-M mode
Stares from other drivers (mainly BMW drivers)
HUGE bootspace
Assisted parking, very cool (since you might really need it due to its dimensions)
HUD, very helpful

What I do not like
Price
Back seats currently can only accommodate 2 passengers ("Ain't this a 7-seater? WHAT? Not even 5???" - first thing the wife said...)
A little bit wide for Singapore roads
Fuel consumption, because the M mode is soooo addictive fuel consumption WILL DEFINITELY be very high