Automobiles, Car Pictures, Car review

At the launch of the first X5 in 1999, it was evident that BMW had turned the sport/utility vehicle segment on its head. Here was a sweetly styled all-wheel-drive machine offering the driving experience, performance, refinement, luxury and technology of its cars. Eight years later, the X5 has grown and matured, losing some of its predecessor's intrigue in the process. But BMW's determination to meld the attributes of a typical SUV with those of its other models continues with the new X6. Revealed here in production guise for the first time before a planned world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the X6 represents BMW's attempt to marry a traditional coupe's sleekness and on-road dynamics with the visual bullishness and go-anywhere ability of an SUV. The unusual styling, a combination of X5 and 6 Series design cues, was previewed in detail on the X6 concept car at the 2007 Frankfurt show last September ("Wild Thing," Sept. 17, 2007). The production version's only big changes are the addition of an exposed B-pillar and a 19-inch wheel-and-tire package that is standard on all U.S.-bound X6s.