2020 BMW X6

The 2020 BMW X6 M50i is just one rung down from the full-fat BMW X6 M. Of course, a 5,000-pound-plus SUV may not be what you think of when BMW M comes to mind, but BMW is out to change a few minds with this coupe-like crossover. The X6 is completely new for the 2020 model year, adopting many of the features, styling touches and powertrains from the still-new and more traditionally-shaped X5. There’s an M50i version of the X5, too, but we’re focusing on its slick and less practical sibling. Specially, the M50i, which has BMW’s powerful 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that makes 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. It’s not the most powerful version of that engine, but it’s more than enough in a vehicle this big. BMW pairs the torquey V8 with the smooth ZF eight-speed automatic, and since it’s the M50i, it also gets the M Sport exhaust as standard equipment. There isn’t much debate in the office about the engine (it’s fantastic), but there’s plenty of controversy surrounding the styling. BMW kept the same general shape as the X6 before it, but it’s different enough to warrant a re-evaluation of the SUV coupe argument. When compared to the X5, an X6 loses 6.5 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the second row and 12.7 cubes when the second row is folded flat. That’s a significant loss, but the bigger loss is in practical room, as the X6’s cargo area isn’t as square and luggage-friendly as the X5’s is. There’s also more rear legroom in an X5 (1.7 inches) and more rear headroom too (1.2 inches). With those compromises in mind, we’ll shift to pricing. The base price of a 2020 BMW X6 M50i is $86,645, but ours stickered at $99,645 after options. Good work keeping it under six digits, BMW. For $3,350 we got the “Full Merino Leather,” ensuring that most surfaces were covered by the especially high-quality BMW leather. The $2,600 Dynamic Handling package added the adaptive suspension, active anti-roll bars and four-wheel steering. The $1,700 Driving Assistance package added BMW’s traffic jam assistant and the “Active Driving Assistant Pro” that’ll take over completely at low speeds. A Premium Package for $1,250 adds remote engine start, a head-up display and gesture control. Appearance-wise, ours had $1,900 22-inch M alloy wheels and the $500 illuminated kidney grille. Nearly $100,000 is a lot of coin to spend for a crossover, but at 4.1 seconds to 60 mph, there’s a whole lot of performance that comes along for the ride. Associate Editor Byron Hurd: This was my first time in BMW's sport "activity" coupe, and I had mixed feelings. The handling and steering are fantastic for something of this size, but I was constantly reminded just how big "this size" actually is when trying to do simple things, like get in and out of my narrow driveway.  Get it out on the road, though, and the X6 really shrinks around you. BMW did a fantastic job of making …
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