2009 BMW X6

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What is it?
2009 BMW X6

What's special about it?
Coupelike agility combined with SUV utility? That's the promise of the 2009 BMW X6. It sounds like a stretch, but if any company can pull it off, BMW can. It already made its X5 SUV handle like a sedan, so making the similarly sized (although slightly lower) X6 feel like a coupe isn't impossible.

A choice of two turbocharged engines should help. Base models, which will be known as the xDrive35i, will get the same twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 as the 3 and 5 Series sedans. It delivers 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque, so even the entry-level X6 should be plenty fast.

The real news is the top-of-the-line model known as the xDrive50i. It's the first BMW to use the company's new twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8. Like the smaller inline-6, the all-aluminum V8 uses direct injection to help deliver both efficiency and big power. Rated to produce 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, the xDrive50i tops both the supercharged Range Rover Sport and the Porsche Cayenne S in both horsepower and torque. BMW says the xDrive50i will go from zero to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.

All-wheel drive is standard on both trim levels of the X6 along with a six-speed automatic transmission. A new system called Dynamic Performance Control (DPC) has also been added to the xDrive all-wheel-drive system. In addition to modulating power between the front and rear wheels, DPC also has the ability to increase or decrease torque to each of the rear wheels to help steer the X6 through corners. Those wheels will be 19 inches in diameter on most X6s, although 20-inch wheels will be available as an option.

With such advanced hardware, the coupelike qualities of the X6 don't seem like an exaggeration. It's the utility end of the equation that's a little harder to justify. Unlike the current X5, the X6 is designed for a driver and three passengers only. There are no third-row seats of any kind and the second row gets a center console between the seats. There are only 25.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, and even with the seats folded, the maximum cargo space only goes up to 59.7 cubic feet. That's less than BMW's smaller X3 SUV on both counts.

It looks as though BMW is counting on buyers who are more interested in the coupe side of the equation anyway, as everything about the interior is geared toward driving fast. All four seats feature oversize side bolsters and integrated headrests. There's also a standard sport steering wheel with integrated shift paddles, not to mention a set of knee pads on the center console to give the driver and front passenger something to lean on in fast turns.

Production starts in the spring of 2008 at BMW's assembly plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, so expect to see the X6 in dealerships by June. BMW has yet to announce any pricing, but given its premium engine lineup, the X6 will most likely slot in slightly above the current X5.

What's Edmunds' take?
It's an interesting package of performance and utility. Too bad it comes in a shape that will send buyers flocking to the X5 instead. — Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line