When we first spotted the 2009 BMW X6, it was tooling around Munich just outside BMW's headquarters. As the X6 was stuck in traffic most of the time, our spy photos and video revealed little about the new SUV's speed or style. Our latest footage from the Nürburgring, however, shows a prototype of the 2009 BMW X6 at full stride on one of the world's most demanding test tracks.
It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the X6 looks fairly comfortable around the 'Ring. It borrows most of its hardware from the surprisingly agile X5, an SUV which itself draws heavily from the 5 Series sedan. From the sound of the prototype, the X6 will use BMW's 4.8-liter, 350-horsepower V8 as the standard power plant. A six-speed automatic transmission will deliver the power to the ground through all four wheels. Once it's introduced, we don't expect an additional entry-level, six-cylinder model. Instead we believe the X6 lineup might first expand upmarket with a more powerful V8, a move that will serve to put a little more distance between the performance-oriented X6 and the more utilitarian X5.
Although the latest X5 has grown to accommodate seven passengers, the X6 will not offer a third-row seat. This should save some weight and also permit a stylish, steeply raked roof line. Our spy shooters caught a glimpse of the interior and it's clear that cargo space will take a backseat to style, as the roof line plunges dramatically once you get past the rear window. It also appears as though the X6 is set up with four-passenger seating instead of a second-row bench seat.
As backward as the concept of the X6 might appear, Land Rover has already proven with the Range Rover Sport that a smaller, sportier SUV can sell well with the right styling. Set to go on sale next year, the 2009 BMW X6 should be every bit as fast as the big Land Rover, but we'll have to wait for the finished product before we can see if the BMW measures up on the style scale.
It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the X6 looks fairly comfortable around the 'Ring. It borrows most of its hardware from the surprisingly agile X5, an SUV which itself draws heavily from the 5 Series sedan. From the sound of the prototype, the X6 will use BMW's 4.8-liter, 350-horsepower V8 as the standard power plant. A six-speed automatic transmission will deliver the power to the ground through all four wheels. Once it's introduced, we don't expect an additional entry-level, six-cylinder model. Instead we believe the X6 lineup might first expand upmarket with a more powerful V8, a move that will serve to put a little more distance between the performance-oriented X6 and the more utilitarian X5.
Although the latest X5 has grown to accommodate seven passengers, the X6 will not offer a third-row seat. This should save some weight and also permit a stylish, steeply raked roof line. Our spy shooters caught a glimpse of the interior and it's clear that cargo space will take a backseat to style, as the roof line plunges dramatically once you get past the rear window. It also appears as though the X6 is set up with four-passenger seating instead of a second-row bench seat.
As backward as the concept of the X6 might appear, Land Rover has already proven with the Range Rover Sport that a smaller, sportier SUV can sell well with the right styling. Set to go on sale next year, the 2009 BMW X6 should be every bit as fast as the big Land Rover, but we'll have to wait for the finished product before we can see if the BMW measures up on the style scale.
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