X6 Breaks Cover!!!

BMW has finally unveiled its much-anticipated X6 coupe-crossover, which will slot in its “Sport Activity Vehicle” range next year. BMW will be the first automaker to bring such an SAV to market, although other automakers are said to be planning similar coupe-like utility vehicles.

The X6 was presented at the IAA in Frankfurt. Like the M3, it is being billed as concept, but a nearly identical production vehicle is expected to arrive in dealerships in early 2008.

Source: LeftLaneNews

BMW design chief Chris Bangle said “a good concept realizes itself in a short amount of time.” The X6, no doubt, falls under this category in BMW’s mind.

Of course, we don’t need Bangle’s statement as proof of production ambitions for the X6. For months, spies have photographed the X6 undergoing extensive real-world testing.

Exterior designer Pierre Leclercq says the X6 is “a real sports car,” true to BMW’s tradition. “There’s nothing like this on the market right now.”

Daring design

As recent photos show, the X6 is anything but a conservative design.

The X6’s roofline begins arching downward after the B-pillar and continues plunging right to the X6’s rising waistline. As a result, second-row headroom and rear cargo volume are both compromised.

The new X6 will be longer and lower than the new X5, seating only four. But what the sporty X6 loses in seating and storage, it is expected gain in performance.

The X6 is, by far, the most extreme example of a “crossover-coupe” to date. Mercedes and Land Rover are both rumored to be planning a similar vehicles, but no plans have been announced.