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April 13, 2010
    2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid. Click image to enlarge |
The X6 overall is a tough vehicle to figure out, and I’ve never really made my peace with it. Handsome from the front, as all 6 Series vehicles are, it’s ponderous at the rear. It’s a four-seater, but its sharply raked roofline limits rear-seat headroom and legroom, and for all its bulk, even the front-seat passengers feel close. (My tester included a rear-seat DVD player, located at the back of the centre console, which was at front-passenger elbow-knocking height when deployed; it only folded forward onto the console box, which then couldn’t be opened when the screen was stowed.) Visibility suffers as expected with such a fastback design, and I was grateful for my tester’s optional rearview camera, which also includes an all-around view to reveal what’s lurking beside the doors. The X6 also uses BMW’s goofy shifter which, unlike just about every other shift lever on the planet, requires you to push it forward from a parked position to engage Reverse.
All is not lost, though: the cabin design is handsome, materials and fit-and-finish are as expected in a vehicle that costs half the value of my house, the seats are deliciously comfortable, and finally, after all these years, iDrive has been simplified to the point that it’s actually easy to use. I didn’t think I’d ever write those words, but even without delving into the owner’s manual, I could operate the vehicle’s information and setting screens via the joystick and buttons. Should you need the X6 to show a practical side, the cargo space measures 100 cm long with the rear seats up, and when they’re folded, that extends to an almost-flat 170 cm. The battery fits under the cargo floor, in the spot where a spare tire would normally sit; it’s available because the X6 AH rides on run-flats. The neat 20-inch aero-style wheels are unique to the hybrid, as was my tester’s Blue Water Metallic paint. Nine other colours are also available, and buyers need not worry: the massive graphics were a special item on my press car. Civilian models get only some subdued badges.
  2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid. Click image to enlarge |
Driving the X6 AH is about as much fun as you can have for the price, at least among tall-and-bulky vehicles. The complex hybrid system switches back and forth between gas and electricity when needed, although it does seem to spend more time on liquid fuel than some other hybrids, notably the RX 450h, even in light-throttle driving. Expend the energy, though, and the X6 goes like stink, with a fantastic growl that explodes from out the huge twin exhaust tips. You always feel the vehicle’s weight and height, but it handles and drives remarkably well for all that – this being a BMW, the road experience takes priority. I don’t like the brakes, though: they’re harsh and artificial, and more like the first-generation grabbers that other hybrid manufacturers have long since turned into normal-feeling stoppers. You really have to stand on the brake pedal hard before the pushbutton start will activate, too. Regenerative braking takes care of recharging the battery; as with all other available hybrids, it’s self-sufficient and doesn’t get plugged into a wall socket.
That’s all the “what” on this vehicle; I’m at a loss to explain the “why.” Perhaps the system will show up in other models, and if so, starting at the top is always a good idea: you can easily sell customers on a system in a 1 Series when it has trickled down from the 6 Series, but it’s tougher to do it the other way around. Maybe, having invested in the three-way hybrid joint venture, BMW had to do something with the end result. Or maybe someone at head office honestly thinks these are going to move off the showroom floor. For his sake I’m hoping so, but in reality, I’m guessing that my lavishly-decorated ActiveHybrid tester will probably be the only one I’ll ever see on the road. If so, it will have been fun while it lasted.
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Pricing: 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid
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Crash test results
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