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.