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Interior Design
The sporting driving pleasure served up by the BMW X5 M50d and BMW X6 M50d is
summed up in their interiors by door sills bearing the "M Performance"
lettering, the inscription "M50d" in the instrument cluster, a gearshift lever
with M logo, an M leather steering wheel with gearshift paddles, an M driver's
footrest, a BMW Individual roof liner in Anthracite and Brushed Aluminum Shadow
interior trim strips. Both models are also fitted as standard with exclusive
Alcantara/Nappa leather M sports seats offering electric adjustability and a
memory function. The black seats are adorned with white contrast stitching and
an embossed M logo.
Among the other items of standard equipment fitted on the BMW X5 M50d and BMW X6
M50d are xenon headlights with LED daytime driving lights, Cruise Control with
braking function, 2-zone climate control, a rain sensor, the Radio Professional
and the iDrive control system. Highlights of the options list include Comfort
Access, automatic tailgate operation (standard on the BMW X6 M50d), a
glass/panoramic sunroof, doors with Soft Close Automatic function, a trailer
coupling, a heated steering wheel, active seats, navigation systems with hard
disk storage and high-quality audio and rear-seat entertainment systems.
Customers can also order the BMW X5 M50d with a third row of seats, while the
BMW X6 M50d is available with optional Adaptive LED Headlights.
The range of driver assistance systems and mobility services from BMW
ConnectedDrive offers a wide selection of options designed to optimize
convenience, safety and the use of infotainment functions. The BMW X5 M50d and
BMW X6 M50d can be specified with equipment including Park Distance Control, a
rear-view camera with Top View, Adaptive Headlights, the Head-Up Display,
High-Beam Assistant, Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, and Speed
Limit Info. Other innovative technologies enabling the link-up of the car with
the outside world and the integration of mobile devices give drivers access to
the BMW Assist service (including Advanced Emergency Call with automatic
position finding and BMW Online), as well as unrestricted in-car internet usage.
Real-Time Traffic Information, meanwhile, gives the driver extremely extensive
and precise traffic information. Among the benefits of the likewise optional
Apps function is access to online services Facebook and Twitter.
M Performance TwinPower Turbo Technology
Increased diesel power and an M-specific set-up make the BMW X5 M50d and BMW X6
M50d even more assured performers. The engine developed for the BMW M
Performance Automobiles generates maximum output of 381 hp and peak torque of
546 lb-ft, making the two BMW X models the envy of every other diesel-engined
model in this segment. The BMW X5 M50d races from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.4
seconds, while the BMW X6 M50d brings that time down to 5.3 seconds. Both models
also benefit from the immense reserves of power provided by their diesel engine
when it comes to short sprints at higher speeds. Top speed is electronically
limited to 250 km/h (155 mph) in both cases.
The two models' frugal approach to fuel use offers further evidence of their
impressive abilities. At 7.5 liters per 100 kilometers (37.7 mpg imp) and 7.7
l/100 km (36.7 mpg imp) respectively in the EU test cycle, the average fuel
consumption figures of the BMW X5 M50d and BMW X6 M50d are only slightly above
those for the existing diesel variants of the two models. CO2 emissions stand at
199 grams per kilometer for the BMW X5 M50d and 204 grams per kilometer for the
BMW X6 M50d.
Outstanding efficiency is a characteristic the eight-speed Sports automatic
transmission in the BMW X5 M50d and BMW X6 M50d shares with the new diesel
engine. Added to which, BMW EfficientDynamics technology guarantees intelligent
energy management. Brake Energy Regeneration, the need-based operation of
ancillary components and a disengageable air conditioning compressor are all
standard.
BMW xDrive: Intelligent Control
The BMW xDrive all-wheel-drive system uses an electronically controlled
multi-plate clutch to distribute the engine's power between the front and rear
wheels variably and according to the situation at hand. Indeed, drive can be
switched between wheels in a split-second to optimize traction, directional
stability and driving dynamics. xDrive and the DSC stability control system work
together to provide advance analysis of the driving situation ahead. The ability
to detect the danger of drive slip at an early stage and counteract one or
several spinning wheels by varying the distribution of power has helped earn
xDrive its status as an intelligent all-wheel-drive system.
In normal driving situations drive is sent predominantly to the rear wheels,
accentuating the renowned handling characteristics of BMW cars. The M-specific
set-up of the BMW X5 M50d and BMW X6 M50d has been optimized to enhance
dynamics, helping it to retain a rear-wheel bias under dynamic cornering. Even
when the car is stable through corners, a larger proportion of the engine's
power is channeled to the rear axle to enhance agility and stave off understeer.
In addition, Performance Control enhances the handling agility of the BMW X5
M50d, while Dynamic Performance Control does a similar job for the BMW X6 M50d.
As soon as the front wheels of the BMW X5 M50d start to push excessively to the
outside of a corner, the control electronics of xDrive and DSC team up to brake
the rear wheel on the inside of the bend as required. The loss of forward
propulsion is balanced out by an increase in engine power, the intervention of
Performance Control ensuring precise turn-in. Power distribution can be varied
to an even greater degree in the BMW X6 M50d, which comes as standard with
Dynamic Performance Control. This system reroutes engine output from the inside
rear wheel to the outside rear wheel around a corner if the system detects an
imminent risk of understeer. Dynamic Performance Control also counteracts
oversteer in its early stages, switching drive from the outside rear wheel -
which is experiencing particularly high centrifugal forces - to the inside rear
wheel. Dynamic Performance Control also steps in to stabilize the car when the
driver takes his foot off the accelerator, ensuring precise and agile turn-in
and enabling extremely dynamic acceleration out of corners.
M-Specification Chassis Set-Up
The chassis technology underpinning the BMW X5 M50d and BMW X6 M50d is based on
a double-joint spring-strut front axle and integral rear axle. This arrangement
offers the ideal platform for a sporty handling set-up which also achieves high
standards of ride comfort. Both models also feature air suspension with
automatic self-levelling at the rear axle. The support mounts, elastokinematics,
spring and damper system, and Servotronic mapping of the hydraulic steering -
among other things - have been modified to imbue the chassis set-up of the two
BMW X models with hallmark M characteristics.
Stronger body mounting reduces roll, which in turn optimizes steering accuracy
through corners. At the same time, the linear build-up of lateral forces for
which M cars are renowned enables precisely controllable handling up to the
limit. The M-specification tuning of chassis components extends to the
electronically controlled dampers and active anti-roll control function of
Adaptive Drive, which comes as standard on the BMW X6 M50d and is available as
an option for the BMW X5 M50d. Meanwhile, the large-format braking system - with
385-millimetre front discs and 345-millimetre rear discs - provides powerful and
consistent braking, even under heavy loads.
BMW X6 M50d: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications