BMW X6

By Sam Hardy

16th July 2007

Busy BMW is about to add even more X-citement to its range, Auto Express can reveal. And thanks to these exclusive pictures, we can give you the best look yet at the firm’s forthcoming SUV – the X6.

Complementing the V3 people carrier, the big 4x4 will offer buyers plenty of space, as well as a sporting driving experience. The model is set to star at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, before going on sale in 2008 with the Range Rover Sport and Porsche’s Cayenne firmly in its sights. As you can see from our main image (above), it’s a sleek looking machine, with styling that takes its inspiration from the X5.

But the X6 adds even more in the way of muscle. At the front, there are bigger grilles and larger headlights, which provide it with a more aggressive stance, while a sloping roofline gives it a sporty profile.

However, the roofline ensures that, for all the newcomer’s size – it is bigger than the X5 on which it’s based – the X6 is no versatile seven-seater. Instead, it’s a luxurious four-seater with its rear chairs divided by a large armrest. Development work – which has seen X6 prototypes pound around a variety of locations, including the Nür­burgring circuit in Germany and the Arizona desert (below) – has nearly finished ahead of the model’s eagerly awaited Frankfurt unveiling.

And when it goes on sale in 2008, the X6 will be available with an engine line-up that is set to include a range of V8 petrol and six-cylinder diesel units. Automatic transmission will be standard and entry-level models will cost from £40,000.

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