BMW X6 Review

The BMW X6 has been a controversial car ever since it was first launched back in 2008. Traditionalists reacted strongly to its ‘coupe SUV’ design, which comprised a swooping coupe-like rear roofline on top of a regular premium SUV body. Now into its third generation, launched in 2019, the X6 is still a car enthusiasts love to hate. Find out whether they should in our BMW X6 review.

Customers think differently. BMW sold almost half a million X6s in the space of 12 years, and its growing number of rivals proves this sector has plenty of appeal. As the market for traditional coupes fades, so the idea of combining their sleek lines with the must-have SUV body style only seems to grow in appeal.

The X6 was pretty much the first of the breed, but it's been so popular that BMW has since launched the X4 and X2, both shrunken versions of the same theme. And the BMW X6's rivals keep on coming, the Range Rover Velar, the Porsche Cayenne Coupe, the Mercedes GLE Coupe, the Audi Q8, to name the closest. 

Certainly, this is the most convincing BMW X6 yet. It looks less like a BMW X5 with a squashed rear end and more like a high-rise, high-impact coupe in its own right. The roofline has real drama, falling backwards before it even reaches the back of the front door, for a very distinctive and unique silhouette out on the road.

The front end is very ‘modern BMW’, with a massive grille and bold headlights. BMW will even sell you an illuminated grille, as if the sheer brashness of the weren't enough already.

Inside, the X6 is typical BMW, with big infotainment displays, vert few buttons and a fully electronic panel instead of traditional instruments ahead of the driver. We like the fact it feels more coupe-like to sit in, with a less ‘perched’ driving position. It still offers the desirably lofty view out, though, so X6 drivers can lord it over lesser mortals.

Despite the roofline, it’s surprisingly roomy for up to five people, even if the alternative X5 is bigger and more practical still. The coupe rear deck does mean boot space is smaller, but the sheer size of the car means it’s still surprisingly accommodating, so long as you don’t need to pack in anything too bulky.

BMW has offered a variety of petrol and diesel engines with the X6, all of them turbocharged. Traditionally, the best-seller has been the 3.0-litre six-cylinder xDrive30d, producing a healthy 298PS. The petrol alternative is also a six-cylinder, the 381PS xDrive40i.

At the top of the line-up are the M Performance versions: the 400PS X6 M50d and 530PS X6 M50i, and if for some reason those just aren't fast and powerful enough, there's also the bonkers 625PS X6 M. Oddly, no plug-in hybrid version has been offered yet, despite it being available in the similar X5. 

It goes without saying that the X6 is an expensive car, with new prices starting from around £82,000 in the UK. And it won’t take long on the configurator to notch that up to considerably more. However, it seems more realistic to spend big on this latest generation of X6 if it's your cup of tea, because it’s so much more cohesive and convincing than previously.

For most buyers, the xDrive40i will be the sensible choice. It is already fast enough, richly equipped enough and expensive enough to feel like a proper luxury coupe SUV without tipping into excess.

Its 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol mild-hybrid engine suits the X6 well. It has enough smoothness and enough shove to feel appropriately effortless in a car like this, and it also keeps running costs slightly less alarming than the M60i xDrive.

The M60i xDrive is undoubtedly tempting. A big V8-powered coupe SUV with 530hp has obvious appeal, and the fact it exists at all still feels faintly absurd in the best possible way. But unless you specifically want the extra theatre and extra pace, the six-cylinder car is easier to justify.

The BMW X6 range currently starts at £82,125 and rises to £103,935 for the M60i xDrive. That is a substantial spread, but even the entry point makes it clear the X6 is a luxury purchase rather than a practical-minded family SUV.

The xDrive40i already feels expensive, but it also feels like a lot of car. The cabin quality, standard kit and general sense of polish help justify the number, and it does not come across as a deliberately stripped-back base model.

The problem, as usual with BMW, is that the options list can inflate the final figure alarmingly quickly. The X6 is exactly the sort of car that invites buyers to add bigger wheels, upgraded audio, glass controls and more dramatic trim finishes, and it does not take much to move from costly to downright eye-watering.

Still, that is the nature of the segment. Nobody buys an X6 because they are trying to be sensible.

The most obvious alternative is the BMW X5. It is cheaper in comparable form, more practical and arguably the more rational car. But it does not have the same visual swagger, and that is the whole point of the X6.

The Audi Q8 is one of the X6’s closest conceptual rivals. It feels more restrained and more understated, but it is also a little less engaging to drive. The BMW still has the edge if driver appeal matters.

The Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe is another natural comparison. It majors more on plushness and presence, but the X6 feels the sharper and more cohesive thing from behind the wheel.

The Porsche Cayenne Coupe is the premium benchmark if you want something even more overtly sporting, but it also tends to cost more, especially once you start climbing through the options list.

For something with such a dramatic roofline, the X6 is impressively practical. Its 580-litre boot is still a strong figure for a coupe SUV, and while the shape is not as tall or as boxy as an X5’s, it remains wide and useful in everyday life.

That said, there is still a real practicality penalty for choosing the more dramatic body style. A BMW X5 gives you more room to play with, and rivals such as the Audi Q8 also edge ahead for outright luggage space. The Porsche Cayenne Coupe is much closer, so the X6 is not badly compromised by class standards, but it is not the most generous car of this type for carrying bulky loads.

Rear-seat space is also better than the styling might lead you to expect. Headroom is slightly tighter than in the X5, as you would expect, but there is still enough room for adults to sit comfortably in the back. It is only when you start comparing it directly with more upright luxury SUVs that the compromise becomes obvious.

In the front, space is generous and the driving position is especially good. BMW has done a nice job of making the X6 feel slightly more cocooning and slightly less perched than a conventional large SUV, without giving up the lofty view out that buyers want.

So yes, the X6 is less practical than an X5. But for a large coupe SUV, it remains surprisingly usable.

The BMW X6 measures 4,960mm long, 2,004mm wide and 1,700mm high. That gives it serious road presence, and it feels every bit as large as those figures suggest.

The benefit is that the X6 looks expensive and substantial on the road. The downside is that it is not a particularly easy thing to thread through tight urban environments. Parking aids and cameras help, but there is no getting around the fact that this is a big, broad luxury SUV.

The X6 has what's called BMW Operating System 7.0. This is billed as a fully connected system that links both the 12.3-inch touchscreen with the same-size digital instrument cluster: oh, and the BMW Connected app on your smartphone.

The system doesn’t have the menu structure of older BMW iDrive systems. Instead, it’s tile-based, and fully configurable, with shortcuts on the left-hand side. BMW packs so much into its latest infotainment, it was impossible to have the rotary menu of before. The system allows owners to configure what they want to see more of, and stick lesser-used functions in the background.

Sat-nav mapping is as brilliant as ever, and BMW’s connected services beam in live traffic information, weather details, parking information, fuel prices and other real-time data.

BMW lets you use it in multiple different ways: the touch-sensitive iDrive rotary controller, the touchscreen, via voice (its “Hey, BMW” virtual assistant is surprisingly effective), even gesture control. Or any combination you may see fit. It’s fully packed with technology and is now an extremely impressive modern infotainment system.

This is one of BMW’s better interiors. The materials are rich, the controls feel expensive and the overall execution is much closer to luxury than the brand’s older SUVs ever were.

There are nice details everywhere, from the air vents to the iDrive controller and the general tactility of the switchgear. The stitched dashboard and the overall depth of trim finish help the X6 feel special in a way it really needs to at this price.

You really don’t need any more than the entry-level BMW X6 xDrive30d engine. It’s now fitted with 48-volt mild hybrid technology, which comprises an integrated starter-generator and a lithium-ion battery. Earlier versions of the engine had 286PS, while on later versions, it was upgraded to 298PS. The power is released in a satisfying surge when accelerating, and battery charge is clawed back again when you lift off to extend the engine-off range.

The engine feels snappier than ever thanks to electric fill-in boost from the mild hybrid system. Zero to 62mph takes 6.1 seconds and the surge it generates on the move makes it feel like a much bigger and more powerful engine. BMW has for a long time engineered alchemy into some of its engines and this entry-level diesel motor is one such example.

If that isn't potent enough, a more powerful 340PS (later upped to 352PS) variant of the same 3.0-litre straight-six diesel features in the X6 xDrive40d. Its efficiency is about the same, but this time it'll spear from 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds. It's a very potent unit but one that'll also cruise in a very relaxing way. 

The X6 xDrive40i petrol is, at last, a worthwhile alternative to diesel. Previously, owners of petrol X6s have always been a bit short-changed, because the engines don’t quite serve up sufficient excitement or oomph given the extra fuel they consumed. This 3.0-litre straight-six turbo cures that, with an ample 340PS for 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds (later upgraded to 381PS and 5.4 seconds). It’s a revvier, livelier engine than the gutsy diesel, and is a fun drive in its own right.

We really like the X6 M50i’s (later renamed M60i) 4.4-litre V8, with a mighty 530PS, but it’s a niche model and you can't really use that much performance on tight, twisty European roads due to the sheer size of the thing. The X6 M? Well, that's the same engine with nigh on another 100PS and firmer suspension, so the previous point kinda counts double. The X6 M50d (no longer on sale) is marginally more popular than either, with its 3.0-litre six-cylinder quad-turbo motor putting out 400hp for 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds. 

All BMW X6s use an excellent eight-speed automatic gearbox, with paddle shifters if you prefer to do the work yourself. It's much more responsive than Audi's rather laggy eight-speed unit, for example. 

As standard, the X6 features adaptive dampers. This gives it a consistency of handling across all roads, at all speeds, in all conditions, and also allows the driver to choose just how sporty they want the car to feel. Even in regular mode, body roll is well contained, and the steering responds quickly, without any sort of mushy delay. Dial up the sport modes and it becomes even more tied down and alert, with the steering gaining extra weight and feedback. It feels more like a proper coupe than you’d ever imagine.

The standard xDrive all-wheel-drive system is brilliant, constantly adjusting power distribution so the X6 feels stable and planted. Stomp on the accelerator coming out of a corner and it just sits down and fires you away, a feeling that’s incredibly satisfying.

For even more agility at slower speeds and yet more stability at higher speeds, choose the integral rear-steer system. This turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction below a certain speed, reducing the car’s turning circle, then steers them in the same direction as you go faster. It’s very clever and effective.

Standard ride quality isn’t bad, although it's not as plush as you might expect from a big SUV. It’s firmer than an X5, of course, but it’s still not crashy or harsh: as you’d hope, given the size of the thing, and the sophisticated suspension’s considerable travel. If you want a more cushioned X6, you can optionally add on air suspension, which also allows drivers to raise and lower the ride height and brings even more isolation from bumps. 

As it is related to the BMW X5, safety organisation Euro NCAP encourages us to look at the 2018 crash-test of that vehicle to get an idea how the X6 performs. The X5 was rated a five-star car, with 89 percent for adult occupant protection, 86 percent for child occupant protection, 75 percent for protecting vulnerable road users, and 75 percent for safety assist features.

Front airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag, are backed up with side airbags for front and rear passengers, and standard chest and pelvis airbags for those in the front: the latter are optional for rear-seat passengers. BMW also fits a seatbelt reminder for all five seats, although that's par for the course these days.

There’s an extensive set of active safety assist features: an active bonnet that pops up to protect pedestrians, autonomous emergency braking that detects pedestrians, cyclists and cars; a speed limiter and a lane-keep assist system, all as standard. You'd expect that at this price point. 

Using the WLTP test regime, the BMW X6 xDrive30d averages up to 42mpg combined: you might even see over 45mpg on a run with a gentle right foot. 

The more powerful X6 xDrive 40d will still achieve just over 40mpg, while even the X6 xDrive40i petrol isn’t so bad at 29-31mpg depending on spec, given its fruity power output. 

The thirstiest of the normal range is the M50i, which will average no more than 23.5mpg. The X6 M? 21.4mpg. Both of those figures will drop like a stone if you use the performance, however. 

BMW covers the X6 with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty. That is about standard for a premium manufacturer, and there is nothing unusual here in class terms.

Insurance costs for the latest BMW X6 are likely to be extremely high. Almost the entire range falls into the top group 50 insurance rating. Only the entry-level xDrive30d Sport fails to hit the big 5-0 (it’s rated in insurance group 49). 

The X6 is a desirable machine with a heady price tag and, even in base guise, very swift performance, so don’t expect it to be a particular bargain on the insurance front.

For 2026 to 2027, the standard annual VED rate after the first year is £200. Because every current X6 sits above the £40,000 threshold, all versions also attract the Expensive Car Supplement.

That means an extra £440 a year for five years from the start of the second licence, leaving most buyers looking at £640 a year during that period.