Category: Sporting 4x4s 
Price Range: £42,360 to £53,775
Admirable road-holding abilities, high-driving position, sporty styling.
Poor rearward visibility, cramped in the back, expensive to run, only four seats.
The X6 looks like a compromise - and it is. Despite delivering in terms of driveability and desirability, it's not a hugely practical car.
The X6 offers an excellent driving position: high, but not too detached from the road, there's plenty of seating adjustment, with myriad buttons located at the side offering all manner of positions for those with even the worst postures.
Rear passengers are going to feel short-changed, however. Getting in and out requires a bit of climbing and, once in, it is at best snug, with most adults feeling positively cramped. Visibility is poor for rear passengers and headroom is limited: tall people will feel their hair sticking to the roof and their legs squashed. Anyone over 6ft will not want to spend much time in the back - it's only really tolerable for short journeys.
Don't expect acres of bootspace either. The rear load bay is long and, if you put the rear seats down there's enough space for a couple of sets of golf clubs. The sloping roof however dictates small loads - think twice before you go on a spending spree at Ikea.
The most irritating thing about the X6 though, is the rear visibility, which is hopeless. The coupe-like rear means the view out of the rear screen is letterbox-like and, when you factor in the oversized rear pillars, there's a real issue when trying to see clearly out the back. This makes the rear parking camera a necessity.
It's refined though: road noise is well suppressed and wind noise only becomes an issue at high motorway speeds.
There is plenty of kit on offer and those Early Adopters will be well pleased with the X6's gadgets. Standard spec includes 19" alloy wheels, the Dynamic Performance Control system, xDrive four-wheel-drive, Dynamic Stability Control, sports suspension and front and rear parking warning systems. You also get adaptive dampers, active steering, cornering lights, active cruise control and a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Inside, all X6s offer a leather-trimmed steering wheel with multi-function buttons and paddle shifter. There's also a parking brake with automatic hold function that prevents the car from moving backwards if you are on a hill. It keeps the car at a standstill and will only be deactivated when you press the throttle. If you go for the top-of-the-range xDrive 50i you get better quality leather upholstery, fully-adjustable electric seats and self-levelling suspension.
For the option-tickers there's a veritable feast of gadgetry. Sat nav with a traffic message channel that updates you on congestion, digital TV, high-beam assist, a head-up display, DAB radio and USB interface are all on the add-on list.
