Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

BMW X6 review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

Increased size has benefitted space inside the X6, with greater interior volume and a usefully-sized boot, despite the sloping roof

Practicality, comfort and boot space rating

3.8

How we review cars
Price
£77,515 - £118,920
  • Handling
  • Strong engine range
  • Comfortable cabin
  • No real benefit over an X5
  • High running costs
  • Poor ride in X6M
Find your BMW X6
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car
Advertisement

BMW’s X6 has grown this time around, though you’d not know it as the latest styling isn’t quite as imposing as before - or maybe that ever-increasing kidney grille just makes the rest of the car look smaller. The most important measure is that the X6 gets a larger wheelbase than its predecessor, in line with the X5, bringing a usable increase in passenger space.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Storage within the cabin is pretty good too, with a large compartment between the front seats, good door bins and a large glovebox, while all passengers enjoy comfortable seats - though unlike the seven-seat option in the X5, there are only five seats here thanks to that lower roofline. The view out of the front is fairly commanding too but rearward visibility does suffer a touch, so when parking in particular you’ll be thankful for the parking sensors and rear-view camera.

Size

Personal taste for the styling aside, BMW’s done a good job of hiding an increase in size between the last X6 and the latest model - you’d swear it looks smaller, but it’s larger in every dimension than its predecessor. It’s 26mm longer (4,935mm total), 15mm wider (2,004mm), and comes in at 1,696mm tall, and its wheelbase (2,975mm) is 42mm larger than before, to the benefit of interior volume. For the record, the X5 on which the X6 is based is actually a touch shorter at 4922mm, the same width, and taller at 1745mm, though naturally they share an identical wheelbase. The X6 weighs between 2,055kg and 2,260kg.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

With a more sloping roofline than a typical SUV there’s a risk that the X6 might compromise space for rear passengers, particularly in terms of headroom, but thankfully that isn’t the case. BMW’s efforts to find more interior room mean the X6 feels spacious whichever end of the cabin you’re sitting in, but there’s no real penalty for those in the rear in particular, with good legroom and headroom - though with that lower roof, taller folks may need to pay attention to avoid headbutting the slightly smaller door aperture.

The front cabin is little different from the X5, so it looks and feels spacious and the seats should amply accommodate most body types. There’s a large range of adjustment in the seats and the wheel which makes finding the right driving position a doddle.

Boot

The rakish X6 shape packs a 580-litre boot with the rear seats up, expanding to 1530 litres with the seats folded forwards, something they do in a 40/20/40 format for good adaptability depending on the load you’re intending to carry. These numbers compare well with the more practically shaped X5, though naturally you’ll still get more in that car, with a 650-litre boot and up to 1870 litres if you drop the rear seats.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Hot Land Rover Defender Octa in high demand with close to 3,000 orders at £150,000 each
Land Rover Defender Octa - front action

Hot Land Rover Defender Octa in high demand with close to 3,000 orders at £150,000 each

Buyers aren’t being deterred by the hefty asking price for the most powerful Defender yet, with 2,900 already signing up worldwide
News
12 Nov 2024
Mazda CX-60 is now more comfortable thanks to 2025 updates
Mazda CX-60 - front 3/4 static

Mazda CX-60 is now more comfortable thanks to 2025 updates

Mazda’s SUV has picked up some worthy trim and technical updates
News
13 Nov 2024
Dacia Duster vs MG ZS: which is the best budget hybrid SUV?
Dacia Duster and MG ZS - front tracking

Dacia Duster vs MG ZS: which is the best budget hybrid SUV?

The new Dacia Duster and MG ZS are the UK’s cheapest small SUVs. Which makes more sense in hybrid form?
Car group tests
13 Nov 2024