X6: BMW has softened the SUV coupe

Menus

• BMW renovates its beloved hate object X6
• Principles sacrificed
• Crossover – the more weird, the better
• More pleasing on the outside, more spacious on the inside
• A small four-wheel drive jeep can scramble
• Fuel guzzler cliche fulfilled to a certain extent
• Dependent on cameras

BMW renovates its beloved hate object X6

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The new BMW X6 shares the front end with the X5 except for the bumper. That makes it appear less unique than its predecessor, whose front end is still specially designed… would.

Source: BMW

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As usual, it is comfortable and expansive, corresponding to the vehicle width of almost two meters: the workstation in the new X6.

Source: BMW

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The engines only partially fulfill the fuel-guzzling cliche: the most frugal diesel, the 258 hp X6 xDrive 30d with a three-liter turbo diesel and six cylinders, is satisfied… Standard with only 6.0 liters; the 450 hp X6 xDrive 50i with 4.4 V8 biturbo, on the other hand, needs just under 10 liters.

Source: BMW

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Growth for the luggage compartment: the trunk now holds 580 liters, 75 liters more than before. With the rear seat folded down, the volume can be expanded to 1525 liters.

Source: BMW

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The fact that the car is no longer as thick as it was before can be seen from the longer taillights. They straighten the rear end and take d…em predecessor visually in terms of height.

Source: BMW

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The silhouette has remained true to the basic principle. The X6 is still a pompous mix of coupe and SUV. Although the new edition of the car is somewhat domesticated…rkt.

Source: BMW

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Hardly anyone drives a car like the X6 astray. In case of doubt, it can prove that it has terrain characteristics.

Source: BMW

The Munich SUV coupe is a provocation because of its monstrous appearance – one that has so far sold unexpectedly well. With the new edition, the manufacturer is now relying on a shot of mainstream.

E.r was one of the last works of controversial BMW chief designer Chris Bangle. And one of the most forward-looking. At the Frankfurt Motor Show IAA 2007, the Munich carmaker announced the birth of the "Sports Activity Coupes" with the presentation of the Concept X6, a category that, according to scoffers, combines the negative properties of an SUV and a coupe.

Automobile aesthetics were no longer based on the elegance of a fencer, but on a muscular basketball player. The trailblazer X6, so Bangle, is "an awesome statement of beauty and power". The step from the elegant BMW 6 Series of the first generation from 1976 to the X6 was complete, a refined aggressiveness gave way to the ostentatious style of the rapper videos.

In the 2007 X6 study, a hybrid, BMW had the exhaust pipes covered by an extendable underrun protection when driving electrically. At the beginning of the series, however, this playful feature of visual modesty had already disappeared. BMW actually submitted a hybrid, but the eco-variant flopped significantly with customers.

Principles sacrificed

The 555 hp X6 M was far better received. For this racing car, BMW sacrificed several iron principles of the in-house noble forge M GmbH: It presented an M-vehicle with turbocharging instead of a high-speed concept; with all-wheel drive instead of rear-wheel drive; with power transmission via an automatic converter, and all of this in a form that was not exactly inspired by lightweight construction.

Crossover – the more weird, the better

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X6, the second: after six years, the massive coupe off-road vehicle from BMW is being reissued. In December, the model should come on the market, with depending on the engine up to …22 percent lower fuel consumption compared to its predecessor.

Source: dpa-tmn

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Little brother of the X6: On July 12th, the X4 will hit dealerships as the second SUV coupe from BMW. The car based on the X3 costs from 45,600 euros.

Source: dpa-tmn

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The Allroad Shooting Brake is a study by Audi that was shown in Detroit. As a mixture of sports coupe, SUV and off-road station wagon, it offers a view of the Q1, de…n Audi announced for 2016.

Source: dpa-tmn

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Audi has already shown the TT Offroad Concept at several trade fairs.

Source: dpa-tmn

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Off-road Beetle: The Dune study shown at the Detroit auto show in January is expected to go on sale as a series version in 2015.

Source: dpa-tmn

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Some time ago Mercedes unveiled the Vision SUV Coupe study. According to the manufacturer, a sleek offshoot of the M-Class will follow this model at the beginning of next year.

Source: dpa-tmn

Extreme reactions in the face of the provocation that had become tin were programmed. The phalanx of critics ranged from classically modern aesthetes to lightweight purists to environmentally conscious social critics. The customers, however, expressed themselves most clearly: they took it, and with enthusiasm.

BMW sold over 260,000 units in the first generation of models; Recently, the ratio between the original X5 and the more expensive and impractical X6 had leveled off at a remarkable 3: 1. And it has found imitators across all brands. Mercedes has announced an M-Class off-road coupe; the GLC will be presented in spring 2015. And it is an open secret that Audi has long been working on corresponding models.

Against this background, it is difficult to understand that the second generation of models presented in Spartanburg (South Carolina, USA) has lost its focus. The proportions have become more common, "with everything that the BMW kit has to offer," complain design critics. The front section, on the other hand, is now more coherent, but it was not specially created as for the predecessor, instead, with the exception of the bumper, it was completely taken over from the cheaper and more pleasing X5.

More pleasing on the outside, more spacious on the inside

The BMW managers trust that customers will not be bothered by this, nor by the base price, which has risen by 3000 euros to 65,650 euros. In fact, the X5 M and X6 M have already shared the front end. But only in the expensive M version. It is clear that the common parts strategy helps to reduce costs; consequently, BMW applies the same principle to the smaller models X3 and X4.

A small four-wheel drive jeep can scramble

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Shorter than almost any other Jeep before it, produced in Italy instead of the USA and only available in three versions with front-wheel drive: The Jeep Renegade is a culture shock for real fans ……

Source: Jeep

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… it should be a departure for the brand, as Nissan experienced with the Juke or Skoda with the Yeti.

Source: Jeep

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The 4.25 meter short compact SUV is available from dealers from 19,900 euros.

Source: Jeep

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As a transatlantic joint project between the traditional off-road vehicle brand Jeep and the parent company Fiat, design and all-wheel drive technology were developed in the USA…Italian engineers took care of the chassis. The platform of the compact Jeep borrows from the Fiat 500 L, but the rear axle has been redeveloped for the automatic all-wheel drive.

Source: Jeep

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With the seven slots in the front mask, round headlights that are reminiscent of the ancestor of all Jeeps, and the rather boxy structure, the Renegade conveys the traditional design …on a smaller scale.

Source: Jeep

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There has not been such a small jeep since the original jeep, which measured 3.30 meters. Despite its compact dimensions, the interior is generous thanks to the vehicle height of 1.69 meters, …to comfortably transport four people.

Source: Jeep

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Jeep offers the Renegade in four trim levels, with the basic Sport version having, among other things, air conditioning. At the top is the one especially for off-road driving…armed Trailhawk. The all-wheel drive versions have the Selec Terrain automatic off-road system known from the larger models, with which you can choose between the settings “Auto”, “Snow”, “Sand + Mud” (sand and mud) and “Rock” (rocks).

Source: Jeep

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The folding concept of the rear seats promises a high load capacity.

Source: Jeep

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The space at the front is also good.

Source: Jeep

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The center console looks very tidy, …

Source: Jeep

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… the entire cockpit is very clear.

Source: Jeep

And in the Munich BMW cylinder it is also denied that the design language of the new X6 has intentionally lost its drama. The practical advantages of the new body are praised. The trunk has grown significantly by 75 liters – and thanks to a new seating system, there is now space for three instead of two passengers. “More practicability where you don’t expect it,” is the marketing jargon.

The fact that the new X6 is more mainstream is perhaps also due to the need to save fuel. The improved range of luxurious extras such as leather seats, piano lacquer consoles and monitors have been offset by a reduction in the weight of the vehicle frame.

The body no longer looks so rugged and is more streamlined than before: the drag coefficient drops from 0.35 to 0.32. In combination with optimized engines and a further improved ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, this helps to reduce consumption by up to 20 percent, according to the manufacturer.

Fuel guzzler cliche fulfilled to a certain extent

X6 drivers out of conviction will hardly believe it: The 258 hp X6 xDrive 30d with three-liter turbo diesel and six cylinders is satisfied with just 6.0 liters per 100 kilometers in normal operation; The 381 hp X6 xDrive M50d with its triturbo diesel only consumes 0.6 liters more.

In test operation, it was easy to get by with well below ten liters per 100 kilometers. The 450 PS strong X6 xDrive 50i with 4.4 V8 biturbo, on the other hand, corresponds much more to the fuel-guzzling cliche. In terms of cycle consumption, it is just under ten liters. The equivalent of the triturbo diesel is a more spontaneous response and the nicer sound of the eight-cylinder.

The chassis copes perfectly with the performance it offers, at least when the dynamic damper control and active roll stabilization are installed. With the appropriate use of power, drifts can even be carried out, although the stability control cannot be switched off completely.

Dependent on cameras

The electromechanical power steering acts precisely and smoothly – and provides sufficient feedback. It is bizarre to look at the traffic from van height while chasing sports cars. The new X6 can do this too – that is also part of its success story.

The impressive agility of the X6, however, disappears drastically in city traffic. There the 4.91 meter long and almost two meter wide colossus without exterior mirrors can only be controlled with the help of numerous cameras. The impressive appearance is at the expense of agility.

On the other hand, the SUV built in the USA does astonishingly well off-road. But the number of X6s that actually leave the asphalt or gravel driveway should be negligible. According to a survey, over 90 percent of all SUV drivers only use their vehicle in the city.

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