Aramation Auto

In the attempt to fill its line-up with a vehicle for every niche, BMW has unleashed the X6, unfortunately acronymed SAC (Sport Activity Coupe) that’s designed to offer you a sporty driving in a big bulky package. What were the designers and engineers smoking when they pitched this car to the execs?

It is not as if BMW’s line-up didn’t contain any useful SUVs: X3, while ugly, is a good size for those who want a practical SUV, and X5 offers more room and more utility for those willing to pay more. X6 sits somewhere in-between when it comes to size but you will pay premium for its design compared to the X5. It isn’t technically a coupe as it has 4 doors, but the limited 4-person seating and sloping roofline suggests a sporty coupe, which is what the designers intended buyers to notice.

Its utility is questionable, and the decision to label a 5,000 pounds car as "sporty coupe" seems rather odd, but the attraction of performance SUV is marketable. Infiniti’s FX and Porsche’s Cayenne have been pretty popular even though they were smaller and pricier than the competition thanks to their outstanding performance. X6’s 6-cylinder engine will propel you from 0 to 60 in about 6.5 seconds, and the bigger 4.4 liter V8 will shave 1.1 second from that. (As comparison, 2009 Infiniti FX50 will do 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds, slightly slower than X6, albeit at close to $10,000 cheaper) As a BMW, its performance justifies the badge, but did it really have to be a 4-person seater?

In the end, this pointless vehicle will find some buyers who have always wanted an SUV but thought X3 and X5 were too practical for them. They will fit right in with this big thing with its big chopped off. Anybody who cares about the true performance will opt for a real coupe, others who value utility and practicality will opt for a different SUV, and those who want an environmentally-friendly car will stay away from this behemoth. X6 ends up compromising too much in order to be "new" (even though it isn’t) and will ultimately known as a gimmick.

Audi finally has a mid-size SUV to compete against BMW’s popular X3. Dubbed Q5, it carries all the visual designs of other Audi models, in a much more practical package than the behemoth Audi Q7. Crucial details, such as price and availability, are sparse right now, but here are the official photos:

Mercedes-Benz has a lot riding on the newly redesigned Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and if the number of C-Class on the roads is any indication, they may be in bigger trouble than anticipated. What exactly is wrong with the new C-Class? Continue reading to find out:

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Insurance Institute for Highway Safety looks into latest safety features automakers are cramming into their cars in the name of crash avoidance. More specifically, this report analyses the efficiency and effectiveness of blind-spot detection system, adaptive headlights, lane-departure warning system, forward-collision warning system with automatic breaking, and emergency break assist.

Their conclusion is that these systems won’t reduce the number of accident fatalities as long as the driver isn’t careful. After all, driver error is the number one cause of accidents on the road…

[Read full report in PDF format]

Honda is recalling close to 353,000 Accord sedans in the model year 2003. A problem was discovered that could lead to corrosion of the windshield wiper motor, rendering it inoperable. There has been no report of damage or accident due to this problem.

BMW’s newest vehicle X6 is labeled as Sport Activity Coupe (or SAC) or Sport Activity Vehicle (or SAV) depending on which press release it is… 2009 BMW X6 finally has a price, and its base will be $53,275 for the xDrive35i model, and $63,775 for the xDrive50i. It will arrive to your local dealers this summer. Read the (lengthy) full press release after the jump, and discover why BMW thinks this vehicle is the best thing since the sliced bread:

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