BMW: Best of both worlds

The X6 xDrive50i - it packs some clever kit. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

If BMW'S X6 is the answer to a question no one asked, its V8 variant could be the answer to a question no one wants to ask.

There are enough buyers seeking an SUV that's also a sports car to keep Porsche in Cayenne sales. But what about a sporting, high-riding SUV-alike without the off-road advantages and the spacious boot? It sounds like a Tui ad. Except it isn't - it's the $174,000 X6 xDrive50i.

No, this isn't a 5.0-litre, despite the name. Bolted under that patrician bonnet there's a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8. It's a clever bit of kit that tucks the twin turbo and catalytic converters in between the two cylinder rows, making it very compact.

The twin turbos boost engine output and, says BMW, fuel efficiency. Certainly the fact each turbo feeds just four cylinders reduces turbo lag. And there's enough grunt to send the Starship Enterprise to warp speed, the 300kW trumped by the massive 600Nm punch this motor delivers anywhere from 1750 to 4500rpm.

It sounds the part, too. Floor that go-pedal for a testosterone-addled cacophony, then do it again. Though such irresponsibility didn't do much for fuel economy, billed at a "mere" 13.8 litres. I saw 16.6 and rising ...

Rising because this thing does encourage you to see just where its outer envelope sits. Is it the muscular coupe it at first appears? Or the tippy-toe, high-riding SUV its actual dimensions suggest?

Drive with brio bordering on reckless abandon and you'll be thoroughly impressed by just how well a car like this can handle. BMW's xDrive sends torque to whichever wheel needs it, literally powering the outside wheel around corners.

Sceptics can watch where the urge is going via a dash-mounted display, though the harder you drive, the less wise it is to admire it. Fortunately it also works at carpark speeds to assist turn-in, and indeed the X6 felt far wieldier than expected in tight spaces. It handled all this power well, and was never short of impressive.

But the niggling question remained. If you want a sports car, you don't want something like this. And although the front pews are spacious enough, if you're seeking an SUV you'll want more from the rear. The boot's roomy enough, but the swooping roofline means this car will only suit empty nesters, or those with two or fewer children and a restrained packing habit, who never go off-road.

Forget damaging these 20-inch alloy wheels, you don't want to risk a puncture. The car drives on run-flat tyres, and different front-to-rear wheel offsets mean they can't be swapped. BMW says you can drive 1000km with a simple puncture. In parts of NZ you'd nearly have to, to reach a source of such fancy rubber.

I'm sure some people will buy this car. It looks good, it sounds good, and by goodness it goes like no 2.2-tonne behemoth should. But whether enough will buy such a quirky and un-PC product in today's market remains to be seen.

BMW X6

We like
Grunt, soundtrack, up-yours persona, edgy looks and astonishing dynamic ability.

We don't like
V8 thirst is not suited to today's economy, nor is BMW's options list, which takes the price from $175,000 to $184,550.

Powertrain
4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, 300kW and 600Nm, six-speed auto drives all four wheels.

Performance
0-100km/h in 5.4 seconds, 13.8l/100km (claimed).

Safety
Six airbags, ABS, CBS, stability and traction control.

What it's got
Head up display, cruise control, rear view camera, satnav and more.

Vital stats
4877mm long, 570-litre boot, 85-litre tank.