BMW X6
Now that the 2007 BMW X5 has made its debut, BMW is working on its next sport activity vehicle (SAV). Expected to debut sometime next year, the 2009 BMW X6 uses the same basic hardware as the X5 but adds a sleeker profile and subtracts some utility for the sake of styling and improved handling. Our latest spy video shows an early X6 prototype undergoing development tests on the streets of Munich.
Expected to come off BMW's Spartanburg assembly line, the X6 will ride on the same platform as its more family-oriented sibling. Its wheelbase isn't expected to change much, although it may add an inch or two in length to make the proportions look right. Judging by the prototype in our latest video and photos, the X6 will look similar to the X5 from the B-pillar forward. A deeper front spoiler and some extended side skirting may be used, but in a rearview mirror it would be hard to distinguish an X6 from an X5.
Real changes are evident once you get past the rear doors. Despite the heavy camouflage, it's clear the X6 will get a steeply sloping roof line. Just how far BMW will go to give the X6 a coupelike profile is hard to tell, but it's a design cue that is expected to do away with the third row of seats that were added to the latest version of the X5. Cargo room probably won't be great either.
Although the X6 will have a more aggressive look, its drivetrain isn't expected to deviate from the X5's current offerings. Expect top-of-the-line models to get the same 350 horsepower 4.8-liter V8 backed up by a six-speed automatic. BMW's new twin-turbo 3.0-liter is a good bet for the base models. A manual transmission is a possibility for European markets, but it's doubtful U.S. customers will get the same option.
Look for the official debut of the 2009 BMW X6 at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, with sales beginning later that year.