BMW Reveals X5/X6 M Competition Variants With Over 600 Horsepower

BMW has pulled the sheets off the new M variants for its line of X5 and X6 SUVs, addressing a horsepower issue that didn’t actually exist. With base models offering over 300 hp and top-trimmed units reaching 523 hp, it’s hard to imagine there being a write-in campaign pleading with the automaker for higher performance M models. But we aren’t going to complain.

The new versions outclass the old X5/X6 M’s 567 horsepower thanks to a 600-hp, TwinPower V8 on loan from the updated BMW M5. Competition models add even more might, taking the 4.4-liter S63 motor up to a lovely 625 horsepower. BMW has also fitted the units with an M-specific adaptive suspension it claims will further improve handling — not that the ludicrously heavy utilities weren’t already impressively nimble for their size.

Even in their lightest configurations (base motor, no frills) both models surpass two tons by hundreds of pounds. In fact, the X5 instantly rockets past 5,000 lbs the second you plant your butt in the driver’s seat. M variants are even heavier — the 2020 BMW X6 comes in at 5,225 lb while the boxier X5 tips the scales at 5,258 lb.

Despite all that heft, BMW says its M models should reach 60 mph in about 3.8 seconds, with M Competition variants shaving off another tenth of a second. Latter examples also raise the electronically-limited top speed from 155 mph to 177 mph.

While BMW attributes some of that to the standard ZF eight-speed auto and rear-biased, all-wheel drive with Active M differential, it’s the motor helping the SUVs drop below the M50i’s 4-second rush to highway speeds. The turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 features direct injection, air-to-water intercooling, cross-bank exhaust manifolds, and variable valve timing. On standard M variants of the X5/X6, that results in 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft; Competition models receive 625 horsepower and the same 553 lb-ft of torque. The power band has also been broadened slightly.

For improved handling, BMW had added additional chassis bracing (boosting stiffness), M-specific adaptive suspension with electronically controlled dampers, active roll stabilization, M Servotronic steering and DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) including the company’s M Dynamic Mode.

Alloy wheels (21‑inch front; 22-inch rear) are standard for Competition model and an option for both the BMW X5 M and BMW X6 M. Behind them rest a quartet of M-compound brakes with six-piston calipers. Rotors measure 15.6 inches in the front and 15.0 out back, with BMW’s brake-by-wire system allowing drivers to configure pedal feel to their heart’s desire. BMW will also let you fiddle with the settings for the engine, dampers, and steering — which you can then save as your own presets.

BMW refers to the X5 as a “Sports Activity Vehicle” (SAV) and the X6 as a “Sports Activity Coupe” (SAC). This hasn’t changed under their newest M guise, as the manufacturer stated both are emblematic of the body styles — serving as the “visual expression of supreme potency.”

While that throbbing vigor is on full display with the standard M variants’ oversized intakes, gills, rear spoiler, rear apron with diffuser, and M exhaust system with four ports, M Competition SAV/SACs take things a step further by issuing these components in a contrasting black color scheme.

All models receive an M-specific cockpit design with head-up display, BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional, navigation, voice command, and park assist. Branded sport seats with fine-grain Merino leather trim are standard with the Competition getting upgraded leather.

BMW informs us that the X5 and X6 M should arrive at dealerships in the spring of 2020. The base MSRP for the 2020 X5 M is set at $105,100 (before destination fees), with the swept-back X6 M starting at $108,600. Set aside another nine grand if you want either of the Competition models.

While both represent noteworthy improvements over their predecessors, most people looking for thrills would probably be just as happy inside the 523-hp BMW X5/X6 M50i — which is about $20,000 cheaper than the new M models — unless they spend loads of time on the Autobahn.

[Images: BMW]