Ride and handling
When we drove the ageing X5 a few months back, the big SUV absolutely blew our mind by delivering handling and performance capable of putting to shame some premium sedans with sporty pretensions. The X6 in the 40d guise had more power, more torque, and BMW’s Dynamic Performance Control trick under its hood to lend it a clear advantage. So did it outdo the X5 as regards handling as well, after creating a new benchmark in a straight line?
Well, hard as me may try but we simply cannot get the tactile old worldly feel of the X5’s hydraulic steering off our mind. The communicative helm of the X5, in our humble opinion still remains to be beaten as regards steering feel and feedback on an SUV. Even while losing grip from its prodigious wheels and tyres, the X5 lets you enjoy the controlled slide in a reassuring manner. You can just not go wrong with that sort of a talkative wheel in your hand.
The X6, on the other hand offers more grip, holds the line better and has the coolest trick in its bag to make sure it never puts forth a wrong foot. The Dynamic Performance Control technology on the X6 is capable of splitting the drive to the rear wheels on the move continuously gauging the level of grips. Around a corner, the system delivers more power to the loaded outer rear wheel for enhanced traction, equipping the machine with better grip and control.
The coolest bit about the tech is that you can see it working in real time on the central screen, where the power sent to the wheels is shown via a live animation depicting the chassis and wheels of the vehicle. The entire system works in conjunction with the BMW xDrive AWD system which does the job of juggling power between the front and rear axles, based on traction analysis.
There is no two ways about the fact that we were blown by the body control, grip and reassurance exhibited by the X6. There’s loads and loads of grip at hand, thanks to those monstrous 20 inch, wheels shod with 275 / 40 section tyres up front and 315 / 35 rubber at the rear.
In addition to all that gluey rubber and a stiff suspension with its laser sharp focus on handling, the X6 can also be ordered with optional chassis control system Adaptive Drive which further enhances driving dynamics by adjusting damping in line with the road surface.
Also available as an option is Active Steering which automatically adjusts the effect of the steering angle to your driving speed and offers you ideal assistance in all driving situations. Additionally, if the BMW X6 starts rolling when cornering or braking, Active Steering automatically balances this out by selective counter-steering and thus actively contributes to assertive handling.
Now all that focus on uncompromised handling for a nigh 2.5 ton SUV has taken its toll on the ride quality. While not entirely thrashy, the ride quality of the X6 is most definitely way stiffer than ideal for being called comfortable. The effect is more pronounced at slower speeds and over sharper undulations. Things improve marginally with a rise in speed though, and the X6 takes wavy undulations at speed in its stride with good ability. Sharper, pronounced edges are still a problem though. Even with all its ability to smash challenging corners defying the laws of physics, the X6 is not the car you would want to lug your family interstate. It’s meant for the young at heart who like the presence of SUVs with the associated wobbliness cut out. If the softness of the suspension gets sacrificed in the bargain, so be it.
There’s another angle to the X6’s underpinnings which you should be aware of. Even with its 212mm of ground clearance, xDrive AWD and Dynamic Performance Control, it’s not a vehicle which is meant to tackle the adversities thrown by low traction off road trails. The entire setup is biased for superior on-road performance and BMW wouldn’t be too pleased seeing you take the X6 to the wilderness. It’s shod with high performance road tyres which are quite useless in slushy conditions. You’d be taking it off the beaten trail on wet slippery terrains at your own peril.
The X6, unlike most other BMWs comes equipped with a space saver spare, so you have something more than the Run Flat technology to rely on in case of a tyre gone kaput.
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