When BMW first unveiled their new X6, many weren't sure what to make of it. The size of an X5 but with reduced cargo space and room for just four passengers, the X6 offered the height and fuel-economy of a seven-seat SUV without the practicality. When the Munich automaker then announced the vehicle would cost an average of $8000 more than its X5 cousin, a lot of people figured it would hit the market with a thud. Well a lot of people were wrong: the X6's entire first year production run has already sold out.
BMW is set to produce 40,000 X6s at its Spartanburg plant in 2008, with half the vehicles slated for the U.S. According to recent reports, CEO Norbert Reithofer has announced that every X6 the factory will build this year has already been purchased by a dealer. This doesn't necessarily mean that the vehicle is sold out at showrooms (though many have long wait lists), just that the automaker's 2008 production quota has been filled.
Despite having a starting price of $53,275 that can easily reach eighty grand, BMW was confident that its SAC (for Sports Activity Coupe) would appeal to an entirely different type of buyer than the more practical X5. With that in mind, they gave both its twin-turbo inline-6 and V-8 engines more oomph than the seven-seater, with 300 and 400 horsepower, respectively. Despite a 5200 pound curb weight, the vehicle's XDrive system helps it handle like a much smaller car, and BMW has stressed the machine's sporting character over its people-hauling capabilities.
The Munich automaker plans to expand the X6 lineup with a hybrid model in mid-2009, which should offer 20 percent lower emissions than the current car. In addition there have been rumors that a diesel version of the SAC will eventually be offered in the U.S., and given the current vehicle's success, this seems increasingly likely. Most new SUVs are designed to be more practical than their predecessors, and for BMW to move in the opposite direction was a gamble. But with dealers snapping up the vehicle's entire first-year production run in just a month, clearly it's paying off. For more info on the new X6, be sure to check out Senior Editor Ed Loh's review here.
Source: BMWBlog