The BMW X6: Misunderstood, or an Identity Crisis?
Alex Reale
· 3 min read
One of the fundamental problems with the BMW X6 may be that it was confusing to consumers and critics—they didn’t know how to
categorize it
. It had an unconventional design, and it received a scathing review from Top Gear in 2010.But, is the BMW X6 an identity crisis or just a misunderstood pioneer of a new vehicle style?
A review of the BMW X6 in 2010
Depending on who you ask, the BMW X6 is either an impressively powerful vehicle with some funky features or a confusing amalgam of gimmicks. BMW did something bold when they built this vehicle in the early 2000s. They made something that couldn’t quite decide if it was a city car or an off-road vehicle, a sedan or an SUV. And the world may not have been ready for it.
Way back in 2010, on their
YouTube
channel, Top Gear hilariously panned it, calling it “too cramped, complicated, and expensive.” The reviewer gripes about the lack of space in the back, the iDrive feature, which “can only be operated if you are 14,” the confusing gear shift, and the poor suspension.To test its off-road capabilities, he takes the car into a grassy field and attempts to drive it uphill. It spins fruitlessly in place. To add insult to injury, a Range Rover trundles nonchalantly up the hill right next to the stuck X6. This is not a great look for BMW’s unusual “sports activity vehicle.”
What do people think about the BMW X6 now?
Of course, we must take this review with a grain of salt. A decade has passed since the X6 disturbed Top Gear, and in that time the weird shape and abilities of the X6 have gone from head-scratching to commonplace. Crossovers are now de rigueur for mainstream brands, with everyone scrambling to build the next great street-to-shred vehicle.
Take the Tesla Model X, for example. It’s roughly the same size and shape as the X6 and purports to accomplish similar tasks, though it’s electric-powered. Like its BMW sibling, it’s in that tweener coupe-sedan-SUV space, with features designed for speedy road driving and (light) off-roading.
But unlike the X6, its debut did not invite ridicule. This nebulous, uncategorizable SUV-ish Tesla has largely landed in the public imagination as merely one more option in a cool lineup of EVs.
An undeserved bad rep for the vehicle
To the X6 fans who cry foul, rest assured: one bad review does not make the van. The new 2022 X6 is an absolute beauty. According to
Car and Driver
, it proudly wears the mantle of “controversial breed.”The X6 had no home when it debuted, and now its design has been replicated across countless other brands. Perhaps the Model X can thank the X6 for trailblazing an unconventional path of body styles.
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