BMW rolls out a sports coupé

You might love it, hate it, but you certainly can't ignore it as it attracts attention wherever it goes.

For instance, the latest offering from the BMW stable, the X6, won the EyesOn Design Award at its world premiere at the international auto show held in the US, recently.

The jury that comprised top designers from major international car manufacturers was looking for innovative concepts and new developments in different vehicle segments.

And the X6 certainly met this criteria, as with this baby BMW has created a completely new type of car: a Sports Activity Coupé.

Priced at Dh385,000, the X6 combines the agility, performance and athletic design of a big BMW Coupé with the versatility and raised seating position of a SAV.

Phil Horton, Managing Director, BMW Group Middle East, told Emirates Business: "The new BMW X6 is the world's first Sports Activity Coupé. The purpose of the X6 is to establish a new segment and expand the company's product range. BMW is a worldwide leader in innovation – we were the first to introduce the Sports Activity Vehicle segment with the trendsetting BMW X5, and now we are redefining the Sports Activity segment with the X6."

The exterior design of the BMW X6 sports a striking front end, stretched side lines and expresses powerful presence through its wheels, classic coupé proportions and sweeping flow from roofline to rear end.

Featuring low side window areas and a roofline dropping smoothly to the rear, the BMW X6 clearly offers all the proportions of a genuine, fully-fledged coupé. Enhanced ground clearance, flared wheel arches in striking design, four doors, a large rear lid as well as the high waistline, all bear out a clear styling resemblance to other BMW X range models.

The new model's interiors – again in typical coupé style – provides ample space for the driver and the front passenger and two further occupants at the rear, travelling on generously dimensioned rear seats in sporting design, with individual seat contours and integrated headrests.

The interior of the BMW X6 offers a unique synthesis of exclusive luxury, sporting dynamics and powerful style to the last detail. Tense surfaces swivelling into one another symbolise the active character of the X6, sporting features such as kneepads on both sides of the centre console, paddles on the sports steering wheel featured as standard, an elevated seating position and the fine scale on the circular instruments creating an excitingly different driving experience in the X6.

Phil Horton summed it up: "The design concept of the X6 is unique. It's a combination of design qualities typical of a large BMW Coupé and at the same time the sporty and dynamic features of a BMW X model. The combination of these features gives the X6 a very dynamic, powerful yet elegant presence."

But what about the engine?

Phil Horton had this to say: "The X6 features a V6 engine with twin-turbo technology producing 306bhp and 295lb-foot of torque, that propels the car from 0-100kph in 6.7 seconds, up to an electronically limited top speed of 240kph. The X6 also sets the benchmark in its class in fuel economy, emissions and performance."

"The X6 comes as standard with BMW's intelligent xDrive all-wheel drive technology and is the first vehicle in the world to offer BMW's new Dynamic Performance Control for unique agility, stability, precision and traction when driving in any situation."

So book yourself one now as only 3,000 of them will be available in the Middle East this year.

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