BMW X5 M F95/X6 M F96

The latest-generation BMW X5 and its coupe-crossover derivative, the X6, gained some extra muscles courtesy of the R&D folks from BMW M Power and with that, the all-new X5 M and the all-new X6 M are picking up where its predecessors left off by delivering some beef to the speedo boys who are or aren't interested in high-performance SUVs that doesn't really make any sense in tackling sports kingdoms, whatever that meant.

The new BMW X5 M, starts at under 130K, and the new X6 M, starts at under 145K, are the big boys of the M garage that combines the same exhilirating performance inherited from most M cars while staying true to its practicality and utility characters like almost any SUV in the world does, well almost.

At first glance, they look exactly similar compared to its normal brethrens, apart from the terrifying front face that got the whole world questioning them, but since they're the M variants, they've gained some extra protein on the outside, making them even more cool despite its dull and vain fronts that today's BMWs don. On the inside, they still seat up to five people and have decent boot space, well the X5's is, but with some sport seats and M steering wheel with customizble modes that suits your driving style, along with some manly stuff that smells like a man's perfume when you get inside, these interiors surely fit to its high performance character.

Under the bonnet, the X5 M and the X6 M are equipped with the same 4.4L V8 BiTurbo engine that powered the uber-cool M5 and its M8 cousins. In Competition guise, it produces up to 625ps of power and 750Nm of torque. Mated to an automatic gearbox, they do 0-100kph in less than four seconds and a top speed of up to 290kph courtesy of an optional package.

The turbocharged V8 engine really feels meaty just like its tiny equivalents but the way they handling is worth questionable because while these guys come with the same M xDrive feature as the M5, the X5 M and the X6 M doesn't have a special drift mode, which sucks but while they're known to be heavy hitters, the X5 M and the X6 M sure knows a thing or two about being capable on and off the road. On a normal road, the rear-biased mechanicals sure makes them behave like sportscars but on the dirt, they're almost working rather well, although this might spoil the M character into it so why would you want to take an M SUV to a dirt anyway? It's what they're made for or so I thought.

With tons of mechanical undersides implanted into them, ranging from the bespoke chassis tech, extremely stiff mountings, M-specific suspension and active roll stabilisation, M Servotronic steering, and M compound brakes, among many others, these SUVs are all about getting the speedo boys addicted to them all day, all night, until they are fully satisfied.

They maybe the elephants in the M room, but the new models surely know how to keep the speedo boys interested for more, whatever the reason.

Photo: BMW AG

3rd Gen BMW 1-Series and 3rd Gen BMW X6

BMW sure knows how to mix the things that were right like the 3-Series and the 5-Series with the things that were wrong like the Active Tourer and any other Sport Activity Coupes in the range but due to BMW's newly-found progressiveness, the things that were wrong are starting to tilt in favor and such examples is the all-new, front-wheel drive, 1-Series, and the all-new X6, the one that gave birth to the coupe utility niche. Let's observe the whys of both of these wrongfully-minded Bimmers no one saw them coming.

2020 BMW 1-Series

In the beginning, most 1-Series hatchbacks are rear-wheel drive and they are a cahoot to drive in the beginning but there was one problem with the 1-Series; the space. To resolve the space issue, BMW committed the unthinkable by turning the 1-Series hatchback from a tail-happy rear-wheel drive hatchback into a more politically-correct front-wheel drive. That move disappoints many BMW fans since they've launched their first front-wheel drive car, the 2-Series Active Tourer MPV but it's a bit more complicated than that.

2020 BMW 1-Series

2020 BMW 1-Series interior

Checking on the design department, the all-new 1-Series hatchback is not a bad car to look at, except for the front face which, in BMW levels, looks odd. And then there's the interior design, which comes with a wide variety of modes to toy around such as the infotainment system, the climate control, the smartphone connectivity, and so on. Because it runs on a new FAAR platform, which is the future of front-wheel drive cars the BMW will make, especially the next Mini, it's now surprisingly the most spacious 1-Series ever made and on the boot, you can now fit so many things that the previous models can't.

2020 BMW 1-Series

Continuing on the FAAR platform, the front-wheel drive layout of the 28,200 Euro BMW 1-Series really means mild on the corners, making it one of the easiest cars to drive with, although some are unhappy with the change because they want to be as fun-to-drive as its predecessors. Even the range-topping M135i xDrive couldn't make the cut rather well because its front-biased rather than rear-biased like you get in the now defunct Ford Focus RS, meaning it behaves like an Audi S3 hatchback but again, more complicating than that. Couple that with numerous tech built for driving and safety alike and the result is a more questionable hatchback that leaves drivers scratching their heads for more.

The new, front-wheel drive BMW 1-Series is one of the worst offenders from BMW because of the un-BMW-ish dynamics that will upset longtime fans but hey, this is how BMW succumbed to progressiveness and progressives like to try new things that will benefit not just themselves but also the world. Still, the front-wheel drive 1-Series wasn't the least of our problems because there's another one that is a bit more slop-sided.

2020 BMW X6

2020 BMW X6

In the beginning, BMW was the first to introduce the coupe utility niche with the X6 and as far as owners believed, the X6 is too cramped, too complicated, and too expensive, meaning they have to travel different parts of the world for some explanations. With the new, third-generation, BMW X6, the first coupe utility has stepped into the next level of whatever it throws at them.

First and foremost, the styling is slightly an improvement compared to the previous X6, the one you don't want to see in your rear view mirror because of the House call coming to hound you down at the dead of night, until you get to the most noticeable feature of all. Yep, the new X6 features an illuminated BMW kidney grille and that's rather flashy and scary at the same time. It's like it's been made by a speedo boy in his garage putting up lots of lights on his car to make it more shiny than the rest.

2020 BMW X6 interior

And then there's the interior which pulls all right nooks and crannies like every car in the world should and despite its sloping roofline, it's slightly less cramped compared to the last one and slightly more spacious as well. However, if you are snoozing at your sweet spot, you are not safe when your Dad started toying around with the voice command system a la Alexa and when he does, expect some rambling involved over just how Alexa-ish the car's voice command system is.

2020 BMW X6

BMW has done some improvements that will keep this 75,500 Euro X6 satisfying to drive than its predecessors and they've provided numerous options to choose from such as the xOffroad package which includes a two-axle air suspension and an electronically controlled rear differential making it capable to drive almost anywhere. Although not as good as a Range Rover, the xOffroad package really spells good news for the drivers. On the normal side, it feels slightly improved compared to the previous model, meaning it's now behaving slightly well in the bends and it's slightly less milder compared to the previous model. This giant mace is becoming more livelier than before.

The range-topping M50i uses the same 4.4L V8 engine as the other M Performance cars, the same 8-speed automatic and the same xDrive all-wheel drive, meaning it is capable of going from 0-100kph in 4.3 seconds and top speed electronically limited to 250kph. That sounds very sensuous for the drivers but if they want some meat to their X6, there's the M50d with its 3.0L six-cylinder quad-turbo engine with 760Nm of torque. However, the latter may not work in today's Europe because, let's be honest, no one in Europe today is a fan of diesels these days.

If you were going to pick the lesser of the two evils from BMW, it's hard to decide which will go because none of these two will tickle the fancies of every Bimmer fan today. Yes, the new 1-Series is a treason to the BMW heritage because of its FF layout and the new X6 scares the sheep out of heck because of its terrifying illuminating kidney grille, but either way, there's nothing bad about giving them some love because they deserve more attention than being themselves, as is.

Photo: BMW AG

BMW X5 M F85 and X6 M F86

2016 BMW X6 M and 2016 BMW X5 M

Both the BMW X5 and the X6 are in their latest generations and now, they've been given their more potent M versions that will give these heavyweight Bimmers a chance to let loose on the wild, however there's something wrong about these two heavyweight behemoths dressed in gym shorts.

For starters, both the X5 M and X6 M have shared the same fate as the latest M3 and M4 have witnessed. For the X5 M, the codename is not classified as "F15" as with the normal X5 and for the X6 M, it's no longer classified as "F16" as with the normal X6. Instead the latest X5 M is classified as F85 and the new X6 M is classified as F86. That sounds like a big conspiracy for the Bimmer geeks but maybe because these new models come with a combination of high-strength steel and carbon composites. It's the same thing happened on the latest M3 and M4, but best to leave this ludicrous conspiracy for now.

Both the new X5 M and the X6 M still come with the same 4.4L twin turbo V8 engine from the previous model but now, it's been uprooted with 20HP more so that now, it produces 575HP of power output and 750Nm of torque. It would reach to 100kph in 4.2 seconds and they're electronically limited to 250kph. With that kind of engine output, both the X5 M and the X6 M will have its Porsche Cayenne Turbo S rival hanging in the balance, or that's the theory because when it comes to taking on the corners, looks like the more powerful Cayenne will outwit both these big, beefy M SUVs because even with the weight loss thanks to the combination of high-strength steel and carbon composites, their handling capabilities won't make a cut against that Porsche.

I know that sounds crazy but this is physics and both the X5 M and the X6 M feels like they're failing the physics class where the Cayenne Turbo S will excel. When the Cayenne handles like a horse at the Grand National, both the X5 M and the X6 M handle like if you were carrying a fully-loaded Balikbayan Box from the back of its boot. That electric power steering and four-wheel drive really made them feel like someone's trying to stretch your face or get stuck with Mighty Bond all over. If this is the first time driving either of these, it takes time to getting used to it because just because it's complicated to drive doesn't mean you don't want to drive one. If you're very careful, it will feel more accessible for you and you can find its hidden potential underneath their heavyweight bodywork.

Another thing you will notice in both of the new M SUVs is the implementation of the 8-speed double clutch gearbox and the idea of the double-clutch gearbox is to deliver quicker shiftings than the previous models. That sounds very great but very complicated to take care of it.  There's also the M Drive manager where you can select either COMFORT, SPORT, or SPORT+ but no matter the setting, these doesn't affect both the M SUVs' behaviors.

If you even thinking about using either of these as a family car, you'd better off with a cheap van rather than both of these because using either of these while going to the shops can be as embarrassing as you letting your parents taking a picture of you and themselves at a 3D art museum and since your parents have occupied most of the time taking pics of you and them, you don't have time to do your grand plan. Tough love, buddy. Tough love.

The new X5 M starts at 114,300 Euros while the X6 M starts at 117,700 Euros. That sounds a lot for a family car but they're not made to be either a family car nor a track-day car because their bulky, beefy, and too much for its own right. Even though they're more affordable to own than the powerful Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, I would better have one but if I don't like how the Cayenne looks, guess there's no other choice than choosing either of these heavyweight behemoths.

Photo: BMW AG

BMW X6 F16

2015 BMW X6

When the BMW X6 first came, it was their attempt to make a car which looks and goes like a coupe but with its tall driving position and the so-called offroad ability, it's a Sport Activity Vehicle, and for this brand-new, second-generation model, it still feels like the old model. At launch, it's available with one petrol engine, a 4.4L V8 TwinPower Turbo engine, and two diesel engines such as the 3.0L and the range-topping (for now) M50d featuring an improved version of the 3.0L diesel engine which delivers 381PS of power and 740Nm of torque.

2015 BMW X6 interior

Inside, it's all typical BMW interior and it can accommodate up to four to five people except the fact is that those in the back will feel cramped due to its sloping roofline, just like the previous X6. What's gone from the previous model is the split-opening glovebox lid and it was replaced with the traditional glovebox compartment, which is kinda sad because it kinda worked even in an upside-down country. What's also gone is the unresponsive paddle shifters from the old model where it does both ways and it's back to the one where one changes up and one changes down. Nothing says "back to normal" than having a responsive driver controls but you can still be bothered by the poor back visibility and the ConnectedDrive system which you don't have the time to fiddle with it while going. Trust me on this because while on a stop, best to fiddle with the ConnectedDrive because when the lights gone green, eyes on the road and not on the screen from the dashboard. Sigh...

2015 BMW X6

What about the way it moves? Well, with the refined suspension and with its lightweight, more rigid, bodywork, the new model's mobility is now way different than the old model, slightly of course. In the bends, it's not half bad for a big tall car but it feels a lot more heavy on the steering judging that it comes with electric power steering which makes it as buzzkill as...Buzz Killington himself. (annoyed grunt) Even if it's classified as an SUV, it still doesn't do offroading stuff, be it on the countryside or at the alps, because like the last X6, it doesn't have a low-range gearbox, locking differentials, and ride height control. Seriously. Why did BMW decided to regenerate this monstrosity and still made it worse than the last time? I promised the new model to be more all-rounder than the old one but I'm afraid it still feels like the same thing.

2015 BMW X6

Like the old model, the brand new X6 is too focused for being a road car and it's too focused to be tall and heavy. It's too cramped, too complicated, and too expensive with prices start at 82,500 Euros while waiting for the entry-level version coming next year.

Even if it comes with a boatload of improvements, it still behaves like the same thing so should you buy one? Who cares about it?

Photo: BMW AG

Forza 4 Head to Head: X5 M vs. X6 M

The BMW X5 M...



...and the BMW X6 M...



...both of these are crossovers that were beefed up by BMW's M division...what? M SUV's?! Really? They made some high performance crossovers? Whoa...That's kinda strange but yes, they're true. They really were the first ever high performance sport utility vehicles from the BMW M division and both of these do come with xDrive all wheel drive system and a twin turbocharged 4.4L V8 engine that churns out 555PS of power. However, what's the difference between these two? Let's find out. First up, the X5 M.

In an episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson reviewed this one and as we thought that this one will make mince meat out of sportscars, we were wrong. When we saw a drag race between the X5 M and the Jaguar XKR, this is a bit of a suicide. Even though it has launch control for the X5 M that propelled this mammoth for a quicker 0-60 time than the XKR, the XKR's top speed blasted the X5 M because the X5 M's heavy and enough said. Sure, the X5 was made for offroading but thanks to this M version, the offroad fun was gone and....how can I say it? Never mind, let's start the clock!



The X5 M did it in 1:27.110.

And now...the X6 M...

When Jeremy Clarkson tested the original X6, he kinda disliked it. Even though he traveled around the world, from Australia just for the glove compartment, Spain just for suspension, the Alps just for offroad, and Hong Kong for some metaphors, he really really disliked it and perhaps that money that was used to spend it on the X6 should be spent for a summer holiday at Barbados. Now, in the M version, this has the same issues from the normal except that it was spiced up a bit. Like the X5 M, it do comes with a 4.4L V8 turbo engine so, nothing new here. For a car that was known to be a Sport Activity Vehicle, this is rather pointless. Think about the design, this car was made from a world to a world that doesn't exists anymore, like the skyscraper from Hong Kong, the one Batman jumped on....Remind you of any?

Start the clock!




The X6 M crossed the line in 1:27.608. Almost a few milliseconds slower than the X5 M but more importantly, both of them are rather pointless. What you see that these cars used to be a good cars for offroading but it was beefed up so it can no longer go off the road. What's this? SUVs that claim to be supercar SUVs? O ho ho ho ho....No. I should better go to sleep rather than driving these two again...AM I BOVVERED?!