There are performance SUVs and then there is the BMW X6. Ever since the first generation X6 broke cover nearly two decades ago, it has been the oddball in BMW’s line-up. It made little sense on paper, but the X6 ended up creating an entirely new segment, with almost every luxury car maker following suit! It is back in India after a short hiatus, and besides getting a comprehensive update, it has swapped the M340i’s B58 straight-six engine for a twin-turbocharged V8 this time! Does that make the X6 M60i a better driver’s SUV?
At first glance, you could mistake it for the outgoing model and that’s hardly a bad thing. The X6 has always looked purposeful without trying hard. BMW has freshened things up with a redesigned grille, slimmer adaptive LED headlamps and sportier bumpers, and the M60i also gets gloss black exterior accents. The muscular lines help it stand out, while the coupe-like roofline remains its defining characteristic and makes for an unmistakable silhouette. The rear is my favourite angle thanks to the wide stance, though admittedly, I’m not a fan of the slim tail lamps. That said, the quad exhausts, fatter, 315/35-section rear tyres and roof spoiler give the X6 an athletic appearance, despite its overall visual heft.
Inside, BMW has done away with the older dashboard in favour of its curved glass display which integrates a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch touchscreen. The X6 also retains enough physical controls to avoid becoming frustrating – I’m still not convinced about moving the climate controls into the touchscreen, but BMW’s iDrive controller continues to be one of the easiest systems to use while driving. Material quality is exactly what you’d expect from a BMW costing nearly ₹2 crores, and you get a mix of leather, Alcantara, carbon fibre and brushed metal surfaces.
The front seats are supportive enough to hold you firmly in place when driving enthusiastically, yet comfortable enough to spend an entire day in. An array of adjustments also help you find your sweet spot and adjust bolstering. The rear bench is reasonably spacious too, though the sloping roofline does eat into headroom. Let’s admit it though, if rear seat comfort is your priority you’d probably look at the X5 or X7 and not the X6! Buyers looking at the X6 are unlikely to lose sleep over the slightly compromised practicality.
The 4.4-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 petrol (codenamed S68) comes to life with a deep, cultured growl. It’s the same motor that performs duty in the X6 M Competition, and even the Land Rover Defender Octa, and uses the ‘hot vee’ configuration with the turbochargers nestled between the cylinder banks. For the matter, the X6 was the first ever production vehicle to use the configuration, nearly two decades ago! The engine offers 530PS and 750Nm in this guise, put down by BMW’s 8-speed torque converter automatic and sent to all four wheels courtesy the xDrive all-wheel-drive system. It also benefits from a 48V mild-hybrid system, but don’t let the word ‘hybrid’ fool you. Bury the loud pedal and the X6 M60i lunges forward with an urgency that’s almost hard to comprehend, and I’d be lying if I said the performance didn’t remind me of muscle cars! Claimed 0-100kmph is a mere 4.3 seconds, which is plenty quick for an SUV weighing over two tonnes.
What impresses even more is the way the V8 delivers its performance, as there is no waiting around for the turbochargers to spool. Power delivery feels effortless, and the surge continues well into triple-digit speeds relentlessly, without any signs of abating. This feel is what sets internal combustion engines apart – performance EVs can be blindingly quick off the line, but their performance tapers off after a while, and EVs simply cannot match the feel of something like the twin-turbocharged V8 here. The transmission deserves equal praise for swapping ratios almost imperceptibly when driven gently, and responding with lightning-fast shifts when you step on the gas. The V8 soundtrack is slightly muted, and some of it is even ‘piped’ through the speakers, but that hardly comes in the way of you enjoying it.
Cruising at highway speeds feels effortless with the engine barely breaking a sweat, while the cabin remains quiet. Overtaking calls for nothing more than a gentle dab of the throttle and before you know it, you get to speeds that demand a quick glance at the speedometer. But what’s truly surprising is the X6 M60i’s eagerness to go around corners, despite its size and weight. The adaptive M suspension, active roll stabilisation, rear-wheel steering and electronically controlled differential work together brilliantly to mask the SUV’s weight. Steering responses are quick and direct, encouraging you to carry more speed through bends than common sense would normally permit.
On the other hand, given the 21-inch wheels and low-profile tyres I was expecting the suspension to feel firmer than it does. The adaptive dampers soak up broken roads well in Comfort mode, though sharp potholes and broken surfaces do send the occasional thud into the cabin. Switch to Sport or Sport+ mode and things firm up noticeably to offer a sportier feel all round, along with a louder, more gratifying growl.
The X6 has never been the most sensible SUV to buy, and this updated M60i doesn’t try to change that. Instead, BMW has simply refined a formula that has worked for years. It looks distinctive, feels supremely luxurious, offers explosive performance and continues to drive in a manner that belies its size. Priced at ₹1.78 crores ex-showroom, it certainly commands a premium, but if you like your SUVs with a generous dose of theatrics, and don’t want to give up the driving pleasure BMWs are known for, the X6 M60i makes a very strong case for itself!
Words Abhay Verma
Photography Saidatta Naik
