Earlier this fall, Honda and its luxury division, Acura, both introduced contenders in the ever-growing field of fastback-utility crossovers. Now jumping into the fray is BMW’s ActiveHybrid X6.
BMW’s expansion of its “sports activity vehicle” line continues, this time in a full-hybrid version. By combining BMW’s 4.4-liter, 400-hp, twin-turbo, direct-injection engine with two electric motors producing 91 hp and 86 hp, respectively, the net result is a 480-hp output with 575 lb-ft of twist. As hefty as the X6 is (at 5,401 pounds), the hybrid powerplant delivers 0-to-60-mph performance to the tune of 5.4 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 130 mph.
A two-mode seven-speed automatic trans-mission (codeveloped with General Motors and used in the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra hybrids) gets the power to all four wheels. The first stage allows for running at startup and during normal city driving. The second mode facilitates high-speed highway operation. A pure electric “run-silent” mode also exists, enabling the ActiveHybrid X6 to run at speeds up to 37 mph for approximately 1.6 miles, depending on the battery’s state of charge.
Much has been done to make drivers forget they are in a hybrid. Gone is the hydraulic air-conditioner compressor. In its place, an electrical climate compressor operates while the X6 is stopped, and a voltage converter continues to supply full power to the vehicle’s 12-volt system, even when the gasoline engine shuts off at idle.
The nickel-metal-hydride battery system continues to support operations in the ActiveHybrid X6 by powering the electrically assisted power steering and Sensotronic brake actuation (SBA). With the latter, braking power comes from the regenerative electric motors, which transmit brake force to all four wheels except in a panic-stop situation that exceeds 0.3 g, when the mechanical brakes step up to assist. In addition to SBA, the ActiveHybrid X6 has the same alphabet soup of assists, from dynamic traction control (DTC) to dynamic stability control (DSC), as in the traditionally powered X6.
The powertrain is seamless, without that laggy tip-in typical of most hybrids. Steering has gone from hydraulic in the original X6 to electric here, but it still transmits good road feel to the driver.
Through stop-and-go traffic on rather uninteresting roads in south Florida, where BMW chose to hold the global launch of the vehicle, it was clear that this is still a driver’s car, even if it is a hybrid. The car rewarded the driver and made sport of slicing and dicing past the lollygaggers and out-of-towners clogging the road.
BMW says to expect about a 20 percent improvement in mileage over the nonhybrid version of the X6. EPA testing reports rate the ActiveHybrid X6 at 17 mpg city and 19 mpg highway. That’s only marginally better than the X6 xDrive 50i, which gets 13 mpg city and 18 mpg highway.
BMW has built a stout vehicle that is a capable hauler of up to four people and their things, with a ride quality that rivals its gasoline-powered sibling.
The ActiveHybrid X6 has a base price of $89,725. If you can do without the hybrid powertrain, a base X6 starts at $67,125. Yep, being green costs money
2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6
ON SALE: December
BASE PRICE: $89,725
DRIVETRAIN: 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with electric assist motors for combined
480 hp, 575 lb-ft; AWD, seven-speed automatic two-stage transmission
CURB WEIGHT: 5,401 lb
0-60 MPH: 5.4 sec
FUEL ECONOMY (EPA): 18 mpg
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