First Drive: 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid is technologically impressive... but to what end?
by Sebastian Blanco on Nov 11th 2009 at 11:58AM 
2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery
BMW's pitch on how great the X6 ActiveHybrid is goes like this: it's the world's most powerful hybrid vehicle, fuel consumption is reduced about 20 percent compared to a similar vehicle without a hybrid drivetrain, and no matter what speed you're going, the incredibly complicated powertrain is performing at the most efficient level possible. All of this power means that the X6 hybrid is no sluggish Toyota Prius, offering frugal but unexciting performance. On the other hand, the size and weight of BMW's luxury hybrid crossover means that, well, the X6 hybrid is no Prius in the mileage department, either.
Let's start by congratulating BMW for bringing its first batch of hybrids to market (the 7 Series ActiveHybrid is launching alongside the X6). In everyday traffic, the hybrid system helps keep fuel consumption down – to a still-lame 18 mpg combined (estimated) – and, since the engine can shut down at stops, the ultra-quiet interior made sitting in Miami traffic during our preview drive almost a pleasure. Nevertheless, there's still a lot of vehicle here that hampers any attempt at real fuel efficiency gains. The X6 ActiveHybrid weighs 5,688 pounds for crying out loud – 400 pounds more than the non-hybrid. This vehicle simply doesn't makes a lot of sense for anyone actually interested in fuel efficiency. Who does it make sense for? Follow us past the break as we try to find out.
Photos copyright ©2009 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.
The ActiveHybrid powertrain in the X6 is a complex animal, being that it's made up of a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine, two electric motors (one that puts out 91 hp and a smaller brother that manages 86 hp), three planetary gearsets and a 2.4 kWh NiMH battery pack. All that machinery manages to produce 357 kW (485 horsepower) and 780 Nm (575 pound-feet) of torque. This is what BMW has created out of the two-mode hybrid system that the Bavarians co-developed with General Motors and Mercedes (think Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and Benz S400 Hybrid). BMW claims its hybrid SUV can achieve fuel efficiency of up to 9.9 l/100 km (about 24 mpg U.S.) on the European drive cycle, but during our a few hours in the 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid Sports Activity Coupe, we averaged just 14.8 liters (16 mpg U.S.).
On the way to 16 mpg, the X6 ActiveHybrid performs like one expects a BMW to. It wasn't possible to test the handling much on the straight and clogged streets of southern Florida, but the CUV had plenty of punch for entering highways – the 0-to-60 mph time is a quick 5.4 seconds – and keeping up with traffic was a doddle. Power, be it electric or gasoline-fueled, was readily available whenever we touched the accelerator pedal. As much as the drivetrain offered, we didn't get anywhere near the vehicle's electronically limited top speed of 130 mph due to traffic. The good news is that there's no need to go fast to enjoy the drive: at any speed, the X6 offers a comfortable cruise, with bumps and other annoyances passed over with ease. Also, the X6 ActiveHybrid's electrical steering feels about as good as any hydraulic system ever has - at least in these non-challenging circumstances.
For all the work that BMW engineers did to make the X6 ActiveHybrid burn less fuel, they haven't chosen to apply some of those same easy tricks across the X6 lineup. For proof, take a look at those special aerodynamic wheels that are available only on the gasoline-electric version of the X6. While they do reduce emissions by 0.1 grams of CO2 per kilometer, don't try to order them for your standard X6. The reason? BMW wants to give its first hybrid in the U.S. a distinctive look and those special wheels are one way the driver can make a statement. All is not lost, though, and BMW told us that making the aero wheels an option on the standard X6 is "in discussion."
Of course, the real efficiency gains come from the battery, not the wheels. The liquid-cooled 2.4 kWh NiMH battery pack sits between and above the rear wheels, offering the powertrain 1.4 kWh of its total power. The part-electric set-up gives the X6 four operating modes: eDrive, eBoost, Charge and Drive. eDrive is the most efficient and uses nothing but electrons to attain up to 37 mph for up to 1.6 miles. It's not a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), but it works great in parking lots and during stop-and-go traffic like we experienced in Miami. eDrive doesn't help drivers who like to engage the manual shifter, however, as it's available only when the transmission is in D, not in manual shift mode. eBoost, on the other hand, uses the two electric motors to boost the internal combustion engine's performance when needed and is the reason this beast never feels sluggish. 'Charge' mode means the regenerative brakes are capturing energy that would normally be lost from the discs, and finally, 'Drive' just means the X6 is using nothing but the V8 to move forward.
The good news is that the complicated transmission of power goes completely unnoticed, showing that BMW's engineers have done a tremendous job of blending the vehicle's electric and gasoline-fed powerplants. Shifts are wonderfully smooth and the switch from electric to hybrid to pure gasoline drive just happens. You can hear the changes if you pay close attention – and there is an analog display under the speedometer showing the battery's state of charge and whether or not it is charging up – but the best way to tell what is happening under the hood is to have the drive mode displayed on the iDrive's info screen.
Even though there are two different brake systems on the X6 ActiveHybrid, don't look to the brake pedal to reveal which is engaging. The brake pedal is decoupled from the actual brake system and uses simulated feedback to tell the driver what is happening. Most of the time (up to 0.3 Gs), only the electric motors are used to brake the X6 ActiveHybrid. In other situations (read: emergency or sudden stop), the standard friction brakes kick in. The decoupled simulation is meant to make sure the driver experiences the same feeling at all times, and it easily passes for the real thing. Because the regenerative brake system in the X6 uses both electric motors, it is able to capture about 25 times more energy than the company's other regen systems. This isn't as big a deal as it sounds, since BMW's Brake Energy Regeneration is fairly wimpy. The two 60 kW motors are theoretically capable of capturing up to 120 kW of energy, but the battery can only handle 57 kW.
The X6's design has its fans and detractors, but the Kammback shape does help the X6 stand out – for now. We can deal with the hood hump – excuse us, PowerDome – and the tall rear end most of the time, but from inside, the design is troubling. Backing-up is terrible, and the rearview mirror only serves to make the back of the car look like it's a million miles away. Luckily, BMW has installed an almost-magical back-up camera system, which, like Infiniti's Around View Monitor, uses cameras built into the rear end and under the side mirrors of the X6. When driving backwards, an image appears on the navigation screen that looks like a camera is floating above the car and showing the close surroundings. Using this screen and the curved side mirrors, it's possible to back out of a garage or parking spot safely. Trying to do so just by turning your head? Not so much.
While we're still waiting for the EPA's official figures, BMW expects the X6 ActiveHybrid will to achieve 17 mpg in the city, 19 on the highway and 18 combined. That's better (except on the highway) than what the best non-hybrid X6 can muster: 15/21/17 for the 2010 X6 xDrive35i. A better comparison for the X6 ActiveHybrid is to the X6 xDrive50i, which also has a V8 engine and gets 13/18/15. The X6 ActiveHybrid goes on sale in the U.S. next month and will be built in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The starting price is $89,775 (including an $875 destination and delivery charge), which would make it even more expensive than the 555-hp X6 M.
In the end, we're not sure who will want the X6 ActiveHybrid. Most likely they'll be people who own an aging BMW X5 and want something new with more power and no penalty at the pump (at least compared to the rest of the X6 lineup). If past popularity of big BMWs is any indication, there is certainly a market for the X6 ActiveHybrid. Today, about 20 percent of BMW sales are X models. Introduced in 1999, the X5 was the brand's first SUV and remains the most popular, with 911,000 sales. The X3 has sold 554,000 and the X6, introduced just last year, has already sold 57,000 units.
We need more time with this big hybrid crossover to be sure, but based on our short drive, the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid will probably not find itself on our shopping list. All that extra hardware (and weight) and what we expect will be the highest price of any X6 model is balanced only by a marginal gain in MPGs. For us, although it's a laudable technological achievement, the value just doesn't add up.
Photos copyright ©2009 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
zamafir 12:02PM (11/11/2009)
Bravo BMW, you just made the most pointless production car... more pointless.
Reply
mitchw 12:21PM (11/11/2009)
why does this 6000lb(if you add people and gas) vehicle call itself a BMW?
Jared 12:44PM (11/11/2009)
3 tons. Goodness, gracious.
A 5 series wagon is over 2000 lbs lighter, handles better, rides better, gets better mileage, has more room inside, better visibility, and is more attractive as well.
Clippy 12:49PM (11/11/2009)
Completely offtopic, but in the same way a 40.000 lb truck can have a Mercedes badge on it :) Weight is the last thing SUV/SAV buyers are taking into account. Some buyers even prefer extra weight for additional safety, and they don't care about fuel consumption. For your average non-enthusiast driver, weight means nothing. He won't be taking this behemoth to the track, and it's likely he drives sedately so won't notice it in twisties either.
It still amazes me how "magazine writers" complain about weight. It's a fat truck ffs, not a track toy. Weight is irrelevant. People who are scared of fuel consumption are not in the market for it. People who are scared of weight are not in the market for it again. And all the whiners definitely don't belong to the target group either. Go start your Prius and hug the hippies :)
zamafir 1:33PM (11/11/2009)
@Clippy - weight is a curious issue. Everyone complained about the veyron being so 'heavy', yet everyone loves the m5 (same weight, 1/2 the power).
That said, whether we're in the Neiman-Marcus soccer mom demographic or not, this thing is pointless. In it's default trim it makes cars like the R32 seem like a bargin (same space inside, faster, more fuel-efficient - the R that is). So yes, when BMW builds a truck with the interior space of a hatchback and less urgency with lots more power people are going to wonder, whether or not it's the top of its irrelevant and lonely slot in the car word.
... I'm still not convinced it competes with anything really.
"oooh an X6, how is it off road?"
'horrid'
"oh... well... is it fast?"
'no'
"oh... well it's a CUV/SUV thingie so there's plenty of room right?"
'no, less than a hatchback'
"oh... ugh... can it tow the thoroughbreds to dressage practice?"
'no'
“um… I’m sorry but what’s the point?”
‘it’s useless. I blew $70,000+ on something which isn’t a one trick pony, it’s a no trick pony, it does none of the things I might use it for well, and therefore I have loads more disposable income than you’
“who cares”
Clippy 2:30PM (11/11/2009)
It's not really pointless. Sure it's not fast and nimble as a hot hatch. Sure it isn't as spacious as full-size SUV like X5. Sure it's not great in terrain like a full-bred offroad. But in some aspects it's still desirable.
Does R32 have a premium badge? No. It's a decent car, but here in Europe, it's still only a VW, one of the lowest tier, no matter how fast it is. Surely there are other SUVs, but all of them are boxy. It's kind of like the stigma of owning a wagon (don't take me wrong, i love wagons) - some people just hate the concept of wagons/SUVs. I'm still calling X6 an SUV just because it's big and fat, but i can understand why people would prefer it over X5. Not everyone needs extra boot space of SUVs. Not everyone likes the boxy shape of regular SUV. Not everyone needs 5+ seats. Yet, among all those haters i mentioned, there are people who like the extra ride height and better view (can R32 offer that? No). They like the very limited offroad capability (still more than an ordinary car, i.e. R32). For some people, even a limited offroad capability is useful - see Audi Allroad line (completely useless, just a regular Avant with higher ride - why would i want to pay so much more for uglier heavier Avant with excessive plastics on the outside? Yet still relatively successfull.), same for Skoda Octavia 4x4, Fiat Panda 4x4 and all kinds of weird cars which are seemingly useless. Then some buyers like the coupeish shape of an X6. There are buyers who just want the extra safety of SUV over regular car. I can think of hundreds of reasons why i would buy a big SUV which isn't suited for terrain. I can think of hundreds of reasons why i would buy X6 over X5. I can also think of hundreds of reasons why i wouldn't buy X6. For one, X6 is the only SUV/SAV that i really like, but i have always been against SUVs and would never buy one anyway as i hate the whole concept and can't wait for European Union to ban these trucks from historic city centers. But it's all matter of priorities. And judging by the sale numbers, X6 is a huge success, at least in Europe. So i wouldn't exactly call it pointless, thousands of buyers are a proof. Let's just say it's not for everyone. I can understand both sides, lovers and haters, personally i'm somewhere in between.
And speaking of M5 vs Veyron - there is a big difference. M5 has always been considered an ultimate autobahn cruiser that is munching miles like nothing, with creature comfort, family and luggage hauling still in mind. Veyron is a 2-seater self-centered sports car that should get your blood boiling and be able to entertain you on track as well. See the difference? Being heavy is fine when you can comfortably seat 4 adults, take a lot of luggage (even more with M5 Touring) and still feel confident with the safety of your family in case you crash, and all that while annihilating 99% of the road traffic and providing decent track entertainment for the "affordable" price. Is that an ultimate family carrier? Definitely. Even though it would have to fight with Mercs AMGs and Audi RS's.
Veyron on the other hand, is an overhyped elephant. It weighs same but seats only 2. It weighs same but hardly takes a golf bag. It weighs same, but probably offers much lower safety for passengers (purely hypothetical as i haven't seen any crash tests of Veyron, but physicaly, its deformation and safety zones must be much smaller). As a trade-off, it offers a monstrous engine with sucky exhaust note that sounds like a diesel, it offers only decent track entertainment and a price tag from another galaxy. It's like a big diamond boulder - it offers insane straight line speed when you throw it, it handles like a pregnant rhino, and it makes almost everyone's jaw drop. Is that an ultimate sports car? Not at all.
zamafir 2:56PM (11/11/2009)
"Does R32 have a premium badge? No."
Right, we're both in agreement, people purchase the X6 because all they need is a 3 series but want something less obtainable. I appreciate your well articulated reply but it appears we're both dancing around the same point. People buy the X6 because it is expensive. That's the primary draw, that's the primary advantage, and that’s why most of us are railing on it as pointless. There’s tons of money to be made by catering to brand whores, tons of money to be made pulling a CLS and draping a new skin on an old platform (as Mercedes so eloquently showed us with the CLS, and VW with the CC). It’s just irrelevant from an enthusiast/driving perspective.
Clippy 3:28PM (11/11/2009)
"Right, we're both in agreement, people purchase the X6 because all they need is a 3 series but want something less obtainable."
"People buy the X6 because it is expensive."
I will stop you right there. I'm not sure how are things over at USA, but in Europe, X6 is not exactly something you may call "less obtainable", so we are NOT in agreement. Because X6 is an utility vehicle, you can buy it without tax. This option can make X6 35d less expensive than similarly specced 335d sedan and priced same as 330d (one of the most sold, together with 320d), which is not an utility vehicle and you have to pay tax (petrol X6s are hardly being sold, so i'm mentioning only the mainstream diesel version). That can hardly be considered as less obtainable. Also, X6 models usually disappear from local dealer lots pretty quickly, 3-series models stay there even for half a year. Still think it's less obtainable? I'm also seeing X6 a lot more than 3-series on the local roads recently. Still less obtainable? Your logic might work for USA, but not here in Europe. Perhaps let's change it into: "People buy the X6 because it is bigger, safer and higher value than top of the line 3-series, but still cheaper." Such argument would make 3-series pointless, yet it's not. And neither is X6.
sparrk 5:11PM (11/11/2009)
there is nothing pointless about the X6 , i love the car,this is what Europeans imagine when we here "muscle car". it's nuts , it's crazy, it's heavy , it's thirsty, it's powerful , press the gas pedal and feel the monster under you coming to life, floor the pedal and scream out loud : "THIS IS SPARTA !!!" - pointless ? not really because it's fun and fun is the whole point.
fmwso 6:26PM (11/11/2009)
I agree with zamafir. It's completely pointless. This is exactly like Honda's Crosstour: an answer to a question that no one asked. Period.
Rev 7:45PM (11/11/2009)
I agree with it being pointless but wondering how the R32 comes into the argument at all. What prospective BMW buyers is shopping for overpriced Wabbits?
In it's default trim, the R32 makes a WRX 5-door seem like a bargain but again, I don't think somebody looking at this barge cares...
zamafir 8:47PM (11/11/2009)
@Rev - it's my daily. when I was researching the x6 and realized it was also awd, had the same interior volume, but worse fuel economy and is slower I was pretty surprised. go ahead and fill in anything awd with decent power that's less than the x6 if you like.
@Clippy - that's fine. I'm coming from a north american perspective, and the X6 is prodominantly intended for north american buyers. In north america the x6 starts off at M3 money, and people here don't use it off road, ever.
Clippy 12:04PM (11/12/2009)
It's nice to know that X6 may be pointless in USA and thousands of customers are horribly wrong, and you few people on the web blog are correct (*gasp*), but don't blame it on BMW. As someone mentioned, X6 has awesome sale numbers in USA, and that means americans love pointless things. It's just sign that BMW is smart when they can really sell ANYTHING in USA. That country is full of big and fat things, starting with hamburgers which are probably biggest in the whole world, going through people who are probably fattest in the world as well, ending with big and heavy cars, which are the trademark of USA (Hummer or Escalade anyone?). USA started the fat-car-that-guzzles-gas trend long time ago, while Europe were preferring lightweight cars with smaller nimbler engines. Audi S5 is a nice example, when they are keeping V8 just because it's "popular" in States, yet V6 in S4 proves to be more than adequate replacement. Now, suddenly, after years of demanding big and thirsty stuff, all reviewers start whining about weight and fuel. Hypocrits too much? Or realized just now, after 50 years, that gas is becoming expensive? To be honest, i hope you get more pointless stuff over there so we can keep more goodness back at home. After all, judging by the sale numbers, majority of american population doesn't care anyway and are happily spending their money on such stuff :) Seeing the popularity of hybrids in USA and in Europe, it's rather clear. You people create demand for useless heavy hybrids instead of accepting smaller 4-cyllinder engines which are cheaper, lighter and even more efficient. But hey, more R&D money for EU market. We will keep our diesel X6 which is cheap, plenty fast for its size and still efficient, you can have the Active Hybrid :)
Another option is, that it is not pointless, thousands of customers are right, and surprisingly that dozen of whiners on internet might be wrong. But this can't be right, people who are taking part in internet discussion are NEVER wrong! After all, VW R32 beats X6 in everything. It's just sad that R32 has such low sale figures and X6 is becoming one of the BMW's bestsellers. Oh wait....!
Du 12:06PM (11/11/2009)
Didn't pop the hood?
That new bulge on the hood (in the middle) is the PCB (the Power Electronics and Hybrid Control Processor) sitting ON TOP of the engine. Good luck changing anything on this car!
Reply
zamafir 12:14PM (11/11/2009)
come on man, everyone knows you ditch that bimmer after the free maintenance has ended. owners will never need to pop the hood.
Clippy 12:22PM (11/11/2009)
Isn't that true about all cars? :)
Guy 12:11PM (11/11/2009)
another hybrid car, another set of fugly wheels...
Reply
anonymous j 1:37PM (11/11/2009)
to be fair to hybrids, this entire car was ugly even before.
Franz 12:16PM (11/11/2009)
This is one of the most pointless vehicles ever offered for sale, IMO.
Reply
tuna 12:18PM (11/11/2009)
Not pointless if you consider who the cars are intended for: the wealthy who wants to be comfortable whilst being "green" for the sake of vanity.
Reply