With the X5 and X3, BMW invented the Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV). Now it's time for the Sports Activity Coupé combining an elegant roofline with the typical features of a BMW X model — borne out for the first time in the BMW Concept X6.
The front end is dominated by highlights that are intended to symbolise "the car’s dynamic orientation to the road". From the side, in turn, the short front body overhang emphasises the car's dynamism; the long overhang at the rear, its stretched and sleek look.
The long line of the engine compartment lid merges smoothly and gently into the elegantly rising A-pillars, the greenhouse moved far to the back and the roofline tapering out clearly and consistently from the B-pillars interacting with the high window line to provide low and, indeed, almost flat window graphics.
The roofline, in turn, flows down gently to the rear spoiler, finally moving up again slightly in a small upward swing, rounding off the overall line of a coupé.
That's combined with the design features so typical of a BMW X model: the high window line, large wheel arches, the centre of gravity visibly in the middle of the car, the muscular side-sills with running boards made of drilled aluminium beneath the doors, and the aluminium underfloor protection elements front and rear.
The drive
Drivetrain and chassis control system Dynamic Performance Control, makes its world debut in BMW Concept X6 and works in conjunction with the xDrive all-wheel drive technology to boost stability.
Dynamic Performance Control spreads out drive forces as required in all situations, feeding a varying degree of power whenever required to the two wheels at the rear, and able to provide its stabilising effect both under power and with the engine in overrun.
As soon as the system detects possible over- or understeer of the vehicle, for example in a bend, it will vary the distribution of drive forces between the wheels for better stability, traction, and forward motion. And in the process Dynamic Performance Control improves driving stability at all speeds — safe traction when setting off, precise control when entering a bend — as well as higher lateral acceleration and directional stability when accelerating out of the bend.
The look
Concept X6 stands out clearly as a BMW from every angle, ranging from the kidney grille with its dual round headlights cut away at the side and the powerful contour line along the flanks of the vehicle to the horizontal lines accentuating the width of the car.
Like on the BMW X5, the front end is supposed to reflect the car's powerful presence. But given the large share of surfaces finished in body colour, it nevertheless creates an impression of lower height, in turn emphasising the road-going orientation of the Sports Activity Coupé.
The BMW X DNA is also evident in the engine compartment lid and the structure of the almost vertical BMW kidney grille, with its slats finished in titanium colour.
Large air intake scoops positioned far to the outside hint at the power of the engine but also show a clear orientation, together with the side panels extending far to the inside beyond the headlights, to the wheels — intended to emphasise how stable the car is on the road.
The air intakes are split horizontally by chrome-coloured bars also supporting the surrounds on the round foglamps. The contour of the central air intake, finally, is characterised by lines oriented to the outside.
Through their design sharply cut across at the top, the dual round headlights typical of BMW are supposed to create an intense and focused look. The outer contours of the headlight units, in turn, extend far into the side panels, making the front overhang look shorter than it really is and giving the vehicle a more sporting and dynamic appearance from the side.
The unique proportions of BMW Concept X6 are particularly clear from the side, the gently tapering roofline and the long body overhang at the rear giving the car its stretched and sleek coupé silhouette.
The roofline itself reaches its highest point directly behind the steering wheel, highlighting the driver' position. The chrome surrounds on the side windows, in turn, made of one piece, accentuate the car's elegance, while the absence of pillars dividing the side area gives the window graphics an homogeneous look.
The counter-flowing line at the bottom of the D-pillar so characteristic of BMW (the “Hofmeister kick”) stands out clearly towards the rear of the window frame, while slender plastic protection panels at the bottom edge of the bumpers, the side-sills and wheel arches again allude to the concept's robust character.
The side-walls are split by two intuitively contoured lines merging slightly towards one another at the front of the car and thus creating a wedge shape — emphasised by the contour line extending to the rear at the level of the door openers, as well as the growing distance between the shoulder line and sill-line towards the rear. Extending all the way to the rear lights, the latter characteristic gives the entire vehicle a sleeker and more stretched-out look.
The second character line runs parallel to the side-sills, half-way between the contour and the sill-line. Both front and rear, this second character line ends where the large and muscular wheel arches bulge strongly out of the side panels.
Reflecting the usual style and character of a BMW X model, the wheel arches are almost square in their contours, offering sufficient space for light-alloy rims measuring 21 inches, with a Y-spoke design created specifically for Concept X6.
The exterior mirrors likewise come in a brand-new design. They are made up of two units with a white-glistening strip of lights between the lower unit finished in body colour and the upper section of the mirror cap made of aluminium. This row of lights supplements the corona rings in the headlights so typical of BMW and serve as daytime driving lights.
At the rear end, the muscular bumper and the protective underfloor panel are classic design elements of a BMW X car. In addition, the proportions typical of a coupé are borne out with the greenhouse featuring an unusually angled rear window tapering out to the rear.
The stable grip on the road emphasised by the powerful rear section is expressed above all by the powerful and elegant shoulder sections, another feature typical of a coupé being the rear lid integrating a striking air flow contour lip.
The entire rear end is split and characterised by horizontal lines making the rear end look even wider and yet again emphasising the powerful stance of the car on the road.
The rear end reaches its full width in the area of the wheel arches, the two exhaust tailpipes positioned far to the outside and featuring surrounds together with a trapezoidal contour that guide the eyes to the wheels.
The distinctive light edge along the lower section of the bumper is supposed to refer to the ground clearance of BMW Concept X6 — so typical of a BMW X car. The rear lights themselves re-interpret the L-shape so typical of BMW’s X models and add a dynamic, sweeping line. Extending far into the side walls, the rear lights again express the full width of the car.
So, in a nutshell, despite its consistently sporting orientation, BMW Concept X6 retains the full character of a BMW X model. So the car features the dynamic flair of a coupe as well as four doors, a large rear lid and all the fortes of a BMW X model.
The front end is dominated by highlights that are intended to symbolise "the car’s dynamic orientation to the road". From the side, in turn, the short front body overhang emphasises the car's dynamism; the long overhang at the rear, its stretched and sleek look.
The long line of the engine compartment lid merges smoothly and gently into the elegantly rising A-pillars, the greenhouse moved far to the back and the roofline tapering out clearly and consistently from the B-pillars interacting with the high window line to provide low and, indeed, almost flat window graphics.
The roofline, in turn, flows down gently to the rear spoiler, finally moving up again slightly in a small upward swing, rounding off the overall line of a coupé.
That's combined with the design features so typical of a BMW X model: the high window line, large wheel arches, the centre of gravity visibly in the middle of the car, the muscular side-sills with running boards made of drilled aluminium beneath the doors, and the aluminium underfloor protection elements front and rear.
The drive
Drivetrain and chassis control system Dynamic Performance Control, makes its world debut in BMW Concept X6 and works in conjunction with the xDrive all-wheel drive technology to boost stability.
Dynamic Performance Control spreads out drive forces as required in all situations, feeding a varying degree of power whenever required to the two wheels at the rear, and able to provide its stabilising effect both under power and with the engine in overrun.
As soon as the system detects possible over- or understeer of the vehicle, for example in a bend, it will vary the distribution of drive forces between the wheels for better stability, traction, and forward motion. And in the process Dynamic Performance Control improves driving stability at all speeds — safe traction when setting off, precise control when entering a bend — as well as higher lateral acceleration and directional stability when accelerating out of the bend.
The look
Concept X6 stands out clearly as a BMW from every angle, ranging from the kidney grille with its dual round headlights cut away at the side and the powerful contour line along the flanks of the vehicle to the horizontal lines accentuating the width of the car.
Like on the BMW X5, the front end is supposed to reflect the car's powerful presence. But given the large share of surfaces finished in body colour, it nevertheless creates an impression of lower height, in turn emphasising the road-going orientation of the Sports Activity Coupé.
The BMW X DNA is also evident in the engine compartment lid and the structure of the almost vertical BMW kidney grille, with its slats finished in titanium colour.
Large air intake scoops positioned far to the outside hint at the power of the engine but also show a clear orientation, together with the side panels extending far to the inside beyond the headlights, to the wheels — intended to emphasise how stable the car is on the road.
The air intakes are split horizontally by chrome-coloured bars also supporting the surrounds on the round foglamps. The contour of the central air intake, finally, is characterised by lines oriented to the outside.
Through their design sharply cut across at the top, the dual round headlights typical of BMW are supposed to create an intense and focused look. The outer contours of the headlight units, in turn, extend far into the side panels, making the front overhang look shorter than it really is and giving the vehicle a more sporting and dynamic appearance from the side.
The unique proportions of BMW Concept X6 are particularly clear from the side, the gently tapering roofline and the long body overhang at the rear giving the car its stretched and sleek coupé silhouette.
The roofline itself reaches its highest point directly behind the steering wheel, highlighting the driver' position. The chrome surrounds on the side windows, in turn, made of one piece, accentuate the car's elegance, while the absence of pillars dividing the side area gives the window graphics an homogeneous look.
The counter-flowing line at the bottom of the D-pillar so characteristic of BMW (the “Hofmeister kick”) stands out clearly towards the rear of the window frame, while slender plastic protection panels at the bottom edge of the bumpers, the side-sills and wheel arches again allude to the concept's robust character.
The side-walls are split by two intuitively contoured lines merging slightly towards one another at the front of the car and thus creating a wedge shape — emphasised by the contour line extending to the rear at the level of the door openers, as well as the growing distance between the shoulder line and sill-line towards the rear. Extending all the way to the rear lights, the latter characteristic gives the entire vehicle a sleeker and more stretched-out look.
The second character line runs parallel to the side-sills, half-way between the contour and the sill-line. Both front and rear, this second character line ends where the large and muscular wheel arches bulge strongly out of the side panels.
Reflecting the usual style and character of a BMW X model, the wheel arches are almost square in their contours, offering sufficient space for light-alloy rims measuring 21 inches, with a Y-spoke design created specifically for Concept X6.
The exterior mirrors likewise come in a brand-new design. They are made up of two units with a white-glistening strip of lights between the lower unit finished in body colour and the upper section of the mirror cap made of aluminium. This row of lights supplements the corona rings in the headlights so typical of BMW and serve as daytime driving lights.
At the rear end, the muscular bumper and the protective underfloor panel are classic design elements of a BMW X car. In addition, the proportions typical of a coupé are borne out with the greenhouse featuring an unusually angled rear window tapering out to the rear.
The stable grip on the road emphasised by the powerful rear section is expressed above all by the powerful and elegant shoulder sections, another feature typical of a coupé being the rear lid integrating a striking air flow contour lip.
The entire rear end is split and characterised by horizontal lines making the rear end look even wider and yet again emphasising the powerful stance of the car on the road.
The rear end reaches its full width in the area of the wheel arches, the two exhaust tailpipes positioned far to the outside and featuring surrounds together with a trapezoidal contour that guide the eyes to the wheels.
The distinctive light edge along the lower section of the bumper is supposed to refer to the ground clearance of BMW Concept X6 — so typical of a BMW X car. The rear lights themselves re-interpret the L-shape so typical of BMW’s X models and add a dynamic, sweeping line. Extending far into the side walls, the rear lights again express the full width of the car.
So, in a nutshell, despite its consistently sporting orientation, BMW Concept X6 retains the full character of a BMW X model. So the car features the dynamic flair of a coupe as well as four doors, a large rear lid and all the fortes of a BMW X model.
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