BMW X6 M60i xDrive review: V8-engined brute

After a brief hiatus, the BMW X6 is back on our shores, but this time it’s packing a lot more firepower. You see, when it was last on sale in 2023, the X6 carried the B58 twin-turbo inline-six engine – a fabulous motor in its own right and one we adore in the M340i.

But in something the size and weight of the X6, you’d want something more potent, and that’s what we have here – the V8-powered, twin-turbocharged, 4.4-litre X6 M60i. A perfect match for the brutish exterior?

BMW X6 M60i xDrive Exterior Design and Engineering - 8/10

When the first-gen X6 broke cover back in 2007, BMW received a lot of flak for its awkward styling. With time, though, BMW has honed the coupé-SUV formula, and this third-gen looks rather fetching. The sloping roofline catches your attention, but it’s the muscular flanks and the sculpted bonnet that hold onto it.

While it was away, the X6 received a minor facelift, giving it a more aggressive front end that the M60i trim builds on with larger air inlets and a gloss-black treatment for the bumper’s centre section. The M-badged kidney grilles are large but not disproportionately so, and are flanked by slimmer LED headlights with cool arrow-shaped turn indicators. Wider side skirts are part of the package, along with gloss black M wing mirrors and massive 21-inch alloy wheels. The rear sports new, more three-dimensional tail-lamps, but the real highlight is those massive exhaust finishers lower down on the bumper. They aren’t just trim pieces either – look closely, and you’ll spot quad exits hiding within.

What it doesn’t have is subtlety. Despite not being a full-blown M car, it has enough visual drama to satisfy ardent extroverts – particularly in one of the brighter shades, like our test car’s Aventurine Red or the Isle of Man Green. If that isn’t enough, BMW’s expansive Individual catalogue will help you find the spec of your liking.

BMW X6 M60i xDrive Interior Space and Comfort - 8/10

Ad

Inside, it’s the quality of the materials that really impresses. There are none of the hard plastics we complain about on some of the newer BMWs, like the 5 Series or X3. Nearly everything you see or interact with is either soft-touch plastic, flawlessly stitched leather, cool aluminium or high-gloss wood. You sit low, unlike a typical SUV, and the black, suede-like roof lining adds to that snug feeling.

The front seats are armchair-comfortable and yet hold you well during hard cornering. Heating and ventilation are a given, but there are also multiple massage modes that work rather well. There is also a high degree of adjustability; the top third of the seatback adjusts independently from the bottom, so shoulder support is superb, and those with long limbs will appreciate the extendable thigh support and telescopic steering column – all done electrically, of course.

Naturally, you don’t buy an X6 for the back seat, but when you do put someone there, they may find the low seat lacks thigh support. Headroom, however, is not an issue, but the sloping roofline means you won’t be carrying any tall plants in the 580-litre boot.

BMW X6 M60i xDrive Features and Safety - 8/10

Occupying prime real estate on the updated dashboard is BMW’s curved display comprising a 14.9-inch infotainment screen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. This also means it forgoes some physical controls in favour of the screens. There are shortcut buttons strewn about the cabin, but these merely take you to the right menu in the infotainment. Thankfully, the infotainment is logically laid out, quick to respond and, using a combination of the iDrive controller and shortcuts, easy to get used to.

There are other niceties, like a thumping 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a wireless charger, a heads-up display and ambient lighting. Safety kit includes 6 airbags, a suite of electronic aids and ADAS features, including an auto-park function – sample the V8, though, and you are unlikely to relinquish control.

BMW X6 M60i xDrive Performance and Refinement - 9/10

Boilerplate items first: under the bonnet is the S68 – a 4.4-litre V8 with twin turbos and a 48V mild-hybrid system. It’s a rather special motor and, in different configurations, can be found in everything from the X6 M Competition to even the Defender Octa. In the M60i, it makes 530hp and 750Nm, but it is reassuring to know it’s stout enough to handle more.

Fire it up, and you are greeted by a bass-heavy rumble. Sport Plus mode opens up the taps in the standard M Sport exhaust for a louder, angrier tone that builds to a deep growl as the revs rise. Granted, some of this is pumped in through the speakers, but it is very enjoyable nonetheless. It isn’t obnoxiously loud even at full chat, but it certainly isn’t lacking in character.

As expected, performance is explosive. It fires off the line with real violence, spinning the tyres if the surface isn’t perfect. BMW claims 4.3 seconds to 100kph, and we clocked a VBOX-verified time of 4.11 seconds. Even into triple digits, it feels relentless, with the 8-speed torque-converter doing its best dual-clutch impression – I imagine hitting its 250kph limiter must feel like an anchor dropping.

BMW X6 M60i xDrive Range and Efficiency - 6/10

The X6 gets an Eco Pro mode that dulls the V8’s responses, and the mild-hybrid system with its auto stop-start function helps efficiency, but the age-old adage of “if you must ask” applies here. A large 83-litre tank should at least ensure you aren’t stopping too frequently.

BMW X6 M60i xDrive Ride Comfort and Handling - 8/10

Despite the ballistic performance, there is a wonderful duality to the M60i. Dial it back into Comfort mode, and the growl is replaced by a distant rumble, the suspension unclenches, the transmission slurs its shifts, and it transforms from brute to relaxed GT. But the M-specific springs and adaptive dampers have a definite firm edge, amplified by the stiff sidewalls of the run-flats. Some harshness will come through while crawling over the worst of our city streets, but for the most part, there is more pliancy than you would expect. As speeds rise, this improves further and, while it never feels cosseting, it isn’t uncomfortable.

It’s a fair trade-off considering the cornering ability it has. For something that weighs 2.4 tonnes, the X6 has a shocking amount of poise through the twisties. Body control is superb, with roll only apparent in the tightest bends. The M Sport differential gives it incredible drive out of corners, and it does feel distinctly rear-biased, but to get it unstuck, you’d have to be travelling at ludicrous speeds. There is a welcome heft to the steering, but also a good feel and feedback coming through the meaty rim. It doesn’t drive like the blunt instrument its size and brawn might suggest, but rather like something a lot more sophisticated.

BMW X6 M60i xDrive Price and Verdict - 8/10

Priced at Rs 1.78 crore, the X6 M60i enters a segment with some stellar rivals. At one end is the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupé priced at Rs 1.5 crore – similar to the X6 in terms of bodystyle, but outgunned in cylinder count and performance. At the other end is the Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupé starting at Rs 1.97 crore, with an emphasis on “starting” – spend time on the configurator, and you’ll see how quickly the number climbs as you tick option boxes. The most direct rival, then, is the Rs 1.77 crore Audi SQ8. In terms of ability too, it sits between the Audi and Porsche – more characterful than the former, not quite as sharp as the latter. Picking between them, then, is a matter of where your preferences and loyalties lie.