The BMW X6 aims to combine the high driving position of a 4x4, the sporty design of a coupe and the performance of a sports car. It’s certainly less bulky than the X5 it’s based on, but still has plenty of road presence while the distinctively sculpted body stands out from every angle.

On the road it is as good to drive as it looks but although it has better body control than the X5 it feels little different from behind the wheel and is perhaps not as sporty as BMW would have you believe. Of course it isn’t as spacious either, especially in the back where the sloping roofline limits headroom but it comes with some superb engines.

Performance and presence

The BMW X6 comes with a range of petrol and diesel engines, starting with the 35i 3.0-litree petrol. A 4.4-litre V8 petrol provides 408bhp for a very swift 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds, yet it’s the diesel engines that are of the most interest to buyers and the quickest. This is underlined by the M50d model that comes with a triple turbocharged six-cylinder 3.0-litre engine churning out a brawny 381bhp. However, it’s this engine’s sensational 738Nm of shove spread between 2000- and 3000rpm that makes it so quick, covering 0-62mph in just 5.3 seconds.

There are single- and twin-turbo versions of this engine used in the 30d and 40d models respectively and they are no slouches either. Then there’s the X6 M that has a twin-turbo petrol V8 of 4.4-litres that serves up 555bhp for 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds. Fast? You bet, and the X6 has looks that turn heads, even if not everyone likes the way it’s styled.

Poor rear headroom

The styling of the BMW X6 is one of the stand-out features of the this car and not everyone is a fan. This is part of the appeal for owners of the X6 that it’s a car you love or don’t. It certainly puts the ‘sport’ into SUV with the way it drives, but the looks also bring a compromise some may find more difficult to live with and that’s the poor rear headroom. Even older children will struggle to get comfortable in the back of the X6 as the slope of the roof seriously reduces the amount of head space in the back. It also restricts boot space compared to the X5 that it shares its underpinnings with. To find how more read our full BMW X6 review that follows.