BMW X6 review

It will probably come as no great surprise that the xDrive30d diesel has the best official fuel economy, and the M Competition petrol the worst. An official figure of 42.8mpg for the former compares well against 33.6mpg for the equivalent Audi Q8, but CO2 emissions of 172g/km mean the X6 still still falls well within the top benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax band. 

More positively, even entry-level Sport models are stacked with kit, including 19in alloy wheels and heated front seats. M Sport trim is only a small jump up in price, though, and comes with 21in alloy wheels, black exterior trim highlights, a more aggressive body kit, an M Sport braking system and a sports steering wheel. No wonder M Sport accounts for the vast majority of sales. There's a long list of optional comfort, convenience and technology packs, too, but – as is the case with the X6's rivals – these can add a big chunk to the bottom line.

In terms of reliability, we don’t yet have any data for this third-generation X6 so we can’t say for sure how dependable it will be. What we do know is that BMW as a whole finished in an impressive 9th place out of 31 manufacturers in the What Car? Reliability Survey, beating the likes of Audi, Land Rover, Mercedes and Porsche. Every X6 comes with a three-year unlimited-mileage warranty.

The X6 is so closely related to the BMW X5 that it won’t be crash-tested separately by safety experts at Euro NCAP. However, the X5 received an impressive five-star safety rating, with very solid scores in every category. It comes with front collision warning and automatic emergency braking (AEB) fitted as standard.

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