The largely unspoilt and organised land of Kota Kinabalu boasts a spectacular mountain terrain and friendly smiles - perfect for the BMW vehicles bearing the 'X' moniker. The place is a concentration of delights, especially if you're an off-road junkie, and it's not just in the collective imagination but also in reality. There is, first of all, a good mixture of twist and curves as well as steep gradient roads. Sure, we've driven in half a dozen cities from Bangkok to Tokyo to Barcelona, but none can compare to Kota Kinabalu's multiple terrains.
BMW's full range of X cars, namely the BMW X1, X3, X5 and X6 were put through the challenge via different driving conditions and road surfaces, further shaping the Bavarian marque's global perspective on its unique and advance all-wheel drive system.
Each cars have their own characteristics without losing its BMW identity. And it certainly shows as we push the cars through the rugged coastline dotted with bays and islands. From the smallest BMW X1 to the gargantuan BMW X6, the cars provided ample versatility and dynamism, luxury and uncompromised driving pleasure. More notably is how the different X cars, regardless of its variants, demonstrated consistency in its EfficientDynamics philosophy through their fascinating qualities and features.
It wasn't just about having to enjoy the B roads with the cars but, instead, it was all about bringing out the capabilities of the Xs when it came to driving through different road conditions. Unlike its competitors, the cars are equipped with Hill Decent Control (HDC) where drivers need not constantly depress the brake pedal when going downhill. This feature simply slows the car down by braking all four wheels when heading down a steep gradient, enabling drivers to have a better control of the car as well as confidence. Should the need arises, drivers can also increase the speed of the car (as according to what we experimented) to 25km/h - all without the need of depressing the brake pedal.
Perhaps what's more impressive is the way the X vehicles change the distribution of driver power according to the road surfaces and driving conditions almost instantaneously and subtly. Under normal circumstances, power is distributed between the front and rear axles in a 40:60 ratio. Once the cars detect a change in overall driving conditions, the xDrive system (or the all-wheel drive system to most) can transfer up to 100% of drive forces to either axles with the greatest traction, allowing the driver to move off even on slippery surfaces without losing grip.
Despite the fact that BMW X cars are equipped with the xDrive system, they have the antics of a rear-wheel driven car as majority of the drive is sent to the rear wheels. However, with credit going to this unique all-wheel drive system, power is also distributed dynamically to the front or rear axle when signs of understeering or oversteering is detected. The fact that the xDrive system ensures that no drive power is wasted on a loss of traction also helps in this respect. As a result, carving curves in gigantic cars has never been this confidence-inspiring and fun. To put it unpretentiously, the X cars don't feel clumsy as they convey a light and breezy demeanour, thanks to their sorted dynamics.
Some cars, especially big and chunky ones, need to be unpicked - the way a burglar cracks a safe, or sedulously wooed. With others, it takes a certain interest to understand why people admire them. But not so with BMW X cars. They open their arms and simply throw down its capable systems and dynamism before you.
Conceivably, with the presence of challenging terrains and roads, the X cars are as close to perfect as they can get.
