BMW unveils X5 M and X6 M at the LA Auto Show

BMW has announced that it will launch the new X5 M and the X6 M starting April next year. But before the official launch, the brand has presented the two high-performance SUVs at the ongoing Los Angeles Auto Show. 

Designed to offer Porsche 911-rivaling performance while retaining all the practicality of an SUV, the second-generation X5 M and the X6 M feature signature M division design upgrades and a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine.  Starting with the design, both these vehicles feature large air intakes at the front end, redesigned grille and side skirts and quad tail pipes. There’s also a sporty rear spoiler on the X6 M. Further enhancing the appeal are the forged 21-inch light-alloy wheels which are available as standard.

Powering the X5 M and the X6 M is a 4.4-litre, twin turbocharged V8 engine that develops 567bhp of power and 750Nm of torque. It is connected to an 8-speed M Steptronic gearbox and an M-specific all-wheel drive system which enables them to accelerate from zero to 100 kmph in 4.2 seconds before hitting a limited top speed of 250kmph. This new TwinPower turbo V8 for the X5 M and the X6 M is the most powerful engine ever developed by BMW for its all-wheel-drive range.

The X5 M and the X6 M will go on sale in the UK with prices starting from £90,170 (Rs 87.79 lakh) and £93,070 (Rs 90.62 lakh) respectively. When the original X5 M and the X6 M arrived in 2009, it was the first time the M division had worked its magic on an all-wheel drive BMW X model. With these second generation models, BMW is hoping to replicate more of the same in terms of outright performance and practical nature usually associated with the current crop of SUVs.