BMW X6 M Competition 2024 review – brutal, fast but deeply compromised

Quite amazingly, the BMW X6 M weighs less than the latest M5. Although only by a whisker, the SUV coupe tipping the scales at 2370kg compared to 2435 for the new supersaloon. That's because in an age of electrified performance cars equipped with complex chassis systems to keep them firmly on the ground, the X6 M is actually quite simple and old school. Open the bonnet and you won't find a spaghetti of orange high-voltage wiring for electric motors, because a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 is the primary source of power. It's four-wheel drive of course, but suspension is by steel springs rather than air, there’s no rear-wheel steering, and it doesn't have the kind of clever roll-mitigating active dampers you get on a Range Rover Sport SV. 

Does this more conventional approach make the X6 M more intuitive and rewarding to drive than its peers, or hurt its breadth as a do-it-all performance SUV? The answer is clear after just a few miles. The X6 M is brutal, uncompromising and often jarring in how it goes about its business. This is a fast SUV designed to perform in very specific circumstances (on smoothly-surfaced German roads, we imagine), and a demonstration of why forcing a car of this type to handle and perform like an M5 isn’t necessarily the best idea…

The F96-generation X6 M first appeared in 2019, and was facelifted late last year to bring updates to the powertrain, chassis and design. Visually, it’s just as divisive as before, if not more so thanks to a new blacked-out front facia that connects the kidney grills to the lower radiator grille. It sits awkwardly on its wheels, too; the 21- and 22-inch M light-alloys look lost in the arches, and some evo testers wondered whether it was still on suspension blocks for transportation. The interior, meanwhile, has gained BMW’s latest dual-screen iDrive infotainment system mounted on a redesigned dash. Quality is largely excellent and the environment looks and feels premium (if you ignore the illuminated M logo emblazoned on the dashboard), but the latest iDrive software can be fiddly to use, with a baffling array of small icons to sift through to access certain functions. 

Beneath the skin, the X6 M shares much with the outgoing F90-generation M5. The twin-turbo V8 generates 616bhp and 552lb ft (the same as an F90 M5 Competition), with the facelift bringing a new intake duct, reinforced crank, a new oil pump and a lightweight plastic sump (enough changes to warrant a name change from S63 to S68). The engine is hooked up to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, which has gained an integrated mild-hybrid 48-volt motor to boost power and efficiency. Second and third gear ratios are shorter than before, too. Performance is firmly in supersaloon territory, with 62mph being ticked off in 3.9sec and the top speed pegged at 180mph if you specify the M Driver’s pack (otherwise the usual 155mph limit applies). For extra stability at that kind of speed, the rear geometry has been modified with more toe-in, and the X6’s adaptive dampers, steering and active anti-roll bars have been revised. 

Fully wound up, the V8 is ferocious. Above 2000rpm it surges forwards, filling its lungs before reaching a tremendous stride in the mid range, pitching the body rearwards and driving the mammoth 315-width Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres into the ground. Such is the engine's flexibility that you can lunge between corners at huge speed without revving it all the way out, but it's a shame there isn't a rich soundtrack to encourage you to do so for the hell of it. Turn off the bass-heavy synthesised engine noise and the V8 sounds flat, distant and industrial. 

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Pull the carbonfibre paddles behind the wheel and the ratios don't land with the immediacy of the best DCTs, but the changes become crisper when you put more energy through the drivetrain. In fact, the whole car seems to demand a certain level of commitment from the driver, even when you’re not in the mood. No matter what mode you’re in, the X6 feels like it’s under constant tension, from the gearbox’s eagerness to kick down under light throttle openings to the brittle, agitated ride quality that never settles. The body kicks and shimmies over imperfections (it sometimes sounds like the top mounts are being hit with a mallet), and does so whether Comfort, Sport or Sport + is selected for the dampers. These modes influence larger movements of the body most of all, and the underlying harshness doesn’t go away.

Lean on the chassis and it feels like there’s a lot going on. Rather than providing a reassuring sense of control, the stiff setup makes the X6 too reactive to the road, emphasised by the tall seating position and sense of mass beneath you. The steering doesn’t give you confidence either; there's a gloopy, heavily damped feel as it weighs up which masks your sense of connection to the car, even in the lightest Comfort mode. It’s possible to carry massive speed in the X6 M, make no mistake, but it feels like you’re bullying – and being bullied by – the car in the process. 

On less 'three-dimensional' roads the X6 still struggles, its damping constantly reacting to every granular detail it encounters. It feels disjointed, every component reacting in silo from each other rather than in unison as per its more accomplished rivals. Stopping the X6 takes a little extra margin to avoid the mass pushing the nose wide – ceramic brakes aren’t an option – but once turned in there is scope to adjust your line with the throttle, the Active M rear diff hunting for grip and inducing a slight suggestion of oversteer. In the more rear-biased 4WD Sport mode that suggestion can turn into a bigger slide quite quickly, at which point you’re very aware of the mass involved, but there’s still a sense of the front axle dragging you forwards when you need it. 

In these very specific circumstances you get a sense of what BMW was trying to achieve with the X6 M, but the fact remains that it really ought to have a wider operating window than it does. It’s a car that doesn’t calm down when the driver wants to, nor encourage you to explore its abilities unless the conditions are right. For a £131,545 performance-SUV, that isn’t good enough.

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Price and rivals

For the price of the X6 M, you can choose from a number of rivals from Audi, Range Rover and Porsche. We’d highly recommend doing so, as each of these manufacturers offer a performance SUV that’s more rounded, more satisfying to drive and easier to live with than the BMW. 

Porsche’s Cayenne is the driver’s choice, with the newly-launched GTS offering a level of precision and composure far beyond that of the X6 M. It’s not as quick, the GTS’s 4-litre V8 giving up 123bhp to the BMW, but you’ll save £25k by opting for the Porsche. The 729bhp Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid has the X6 covered for raw performance but is £7555 more expensive. 

Audi’s RSQ8 doesn’t have the finesse or dynamic polish of its Stuttgart relative, but an incoming facelift could see it make inroads towards the Cayenne. In Performance spec it delivers 631bhp, putting it right in line with the X6 M. 

The deeply impressive Range Rover Sport SV is priced well above the BMW at £171,460, but £114,050 buys the P550e as a more luxury-oriented alternative. It comes with a plug-in hybrid straight-six and lacks the performance and fireworks of its aforementioned rivals, but as a soothing SUV with a degree of dynamic edge, the Sport is hard to beat.