New BMW X6

We’ve finally gotten a good look at the upcoming BMW X6, a shapely crossover that will really define a new segment – just as we were starting to run out of new segments for carmakers to create. Think of the X6 as a very tall Mercedes CLS with a hatchback. That doesn’t sound appealing? Well, maybe that’s not the best way to describe it.

Mercedes’ CLS more or less invented the ultra-high-end four-door luxury coupe market when it was first introduced. By combining a seductive shape with four-door practicality, Mercedes had a new vehicle that, in many ways, hearkened back to the era of coach built cars. And that’s exactly what BMW is going for the with the X6.

We shouldn’t really say that BMW is inventing the segment because Infiniti created it with the FX, a vehicle that combined the sporty driving nature of a performance sedan with the increased practicality and all-weather capability of an SUV. BMW takes it one step further, however, with a much more four-door-coupe-like design and, no doubt, a significant step up in performance. That’s not to say that the FX isn’t a high performance vehicle – it is, but we’re expecting even more out of the BMW.

From these latest spy photos, we can really see the sloping shape of the X6. There’s hardly a flat spot in the roofline, which slopes back aggressively just behind the rear passengers’ heads. We’ve seen some great spy shots of the X6 that give us an idea of the potentially confining rear seat accommodations. But that’s just like the Mercedes CLS, which has a tight, hard-to-enter back seat, too.

For luxury automakers, we’re guessing this is where the crossover/SUV market will head. These vehicles offer a bit of additional clearance, decent cargo capacity, sporty driving characteristics, limited towing capability and a unique, expressive style – all of the ingredients that will almost undoubtedly spell success.