BMW X6 M Competition Review & Prices

Choosing the BMW X6 M Competition over a regular X6 is like cracking a nut with a pneumatic drill instead of a sledgehammer. The cooking version is already quick, dramatic, and luxurious. The M Competition takes those qualities – in particular performance – and nudges the dial off the scale.

Or to put it another way, the BMW X6 M Competition is the ultimate expression of a BMW SUV. For starters, its twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine produces 625hp, plus it costs more than £110,000. It competes with quick sports SUV coupes such as the Audi RS Q8, Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 Coupe and Porsche Cayenne Coupe.

But, if you think performance cars should be as close to the ground as possible and have two seats, then the BMW X6 M Competition will be about as welcome as a Hawaiian shirt at a black-tie ball.

You’ll also potentially be unenthusiastic about the way it looks. Let’s just say you can’t be the shy and retiring type to own one, with its gaping black grille, huge air intakes, huge wheels, large exhausts and vivid unique paint colours helping it stand out over the standard X6.

And, if by some miracle you’d missed the exterior, the X6 M Competition’s interior is every bit as in-your-face. Think seriously figure-hugging seats with quilted stitching, aluminium trim, sports pedals and ambient lighting. Of course, there’s the chance to up the ante with BMW’s options list, but a superb fit and finish are standard.

One thing that stays the same versus standard BMW X6s is the infotainment system, although it’s one of the best in the business. It’s BMW’s top-end Professional system, which gets a 12.0-inch screen that can be controlled by touch, a rotary dial between the front seats or even a very good voice control system.

It also gets Apple CarPlay as standard (with Android Auto to follow in time), although you’ll have to pay for it beyond year one and Mercedes’ digital dials are more visually impressive and configurable than the ones you get as standard in the BMW.

Two adults in the front of the BMW X6 M Competition will have no issues with space, but if you regularly carry tall adults in the back you’ll be better off with the more upright X5 M. If, like the majority of people, you don’t, then it’ll be just fine. The boot will be too, although an RS Q8, GLE 63 Coupe and Cayenne Coupe all have a slightly larger one.

Elsewhere the BMW X6 M Competition also comes as simply an X6 M with 600hp, but here in the UK it’s the full-fat 625hp Competition model or nothing. That V8 petrol sends this 2.4-tonne behemoth to 62mph from standstill in just 3.8 seconds. That’s supercar fast.

And while it won’t lap a track as quickly as BMW’s fastest M cars, the X6 M Competition’s huge tyres, stiff, adaptive suspension, extra bracing and quicker steering all help it feel just about as agile as an SUV can, even without the rear-wheel steering of some alternatives.

Of course, in town, this big SUV doesn’t feel quite so nimble, but on the motorway it’ll breeze down slip roads and overtake faster-moving traffic with a simple twitch of the right foot, all the while remaining more comfortable and quiet than it has any right to be given its sporty intentions.

So, the first decision is whether or not a car like (and that looks like) the BMW X6 M Competition appeals to you, but if the answer is yes, then you’ll find few finer ways to go fast in an SUV.

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We’re into “if you have to ask you can’t afford it” territory here, and the price can climb further if you are tempted by all the optional packs and extras.

Then again, the X6 M Competition is not out of kilter with the price of other high-performance SUVs. It’s more expensive than the Audi RS Q8, but not quite as pricey as the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63.

Mind-blowing performance but lacks four-wheel steering

In town

Leaving the colossal price to one side for a moment, one of the few disadvantages to choosing he M Competition over a regular X6 is that it’s not available with four-wheel steering. Apparently, the huge rear wheels and tyres are simply too big. That means the M Competition model has a larger turning circle than more sober versions that steer from the back as well as the front.

At a smidge under five metres, this is a big car, and the sloping roofline doesn’t make for great visibility when reversing. BMW’s Parking Assistant Pro is standard, which can park the car for you, so this isn’t as annoying as it might be.

As you’d expect of a BMW with an ‘M’ badge, the suspension is firmer than the standard car’s. Riding on huge alloys (21 inches at the front and 22 inches at the back), you do feel potholes and other sharp-edged imperfections in the road surface.

The suspension is adaptive, so the driver can choose a more comfortable setting, but even at its softest you are in no doubt that this is a performance SUV. It’s not a car that glides over pockmarked roads.

On the motorway

Motorways give the X6 M Competition a chance to stretch its legs, although the UK limit is just a gentle jog for a car as quick as the BMW.

The firmer suspension of the M Competition works much better on the motorway than it does around town. The car feels solid, taut, and in control.

You won’t be stuck behind slower traffic for long, and the automatic gearbox is quick to drop down a gear or two when needed.

There is some road noise generated by those super-sized tyres, but otherwise the M Competition’s cabin is quiet and comfortable at a motorway cruise. 

On a twisty road

BMW’s engineers may not be able to rewrite the rules of physics, but they’ve given it a good go. The X6 M Competition is one of the most rewarding SUVs to drive on a country road.

It’s heavy, very heavy, but thanks to sharp steering and minimal lean in corners the M Competition changes direction quickly. The four-wheel-drive system is tuned to send more power to the rear than the front to combine the traction of a 4x4 with the handling balance of a rear-wheel-drive car.

With 625hp, the X6 M Competition rockets from one corner to another, and exceptionally powerful brakes slow the car down in time for the next bend.

Lots of space up front, but the X5 M is more practical

Coupe-SUVs like the X6 are curious things. You generally pay more than you would for a regular SUV, but objectively you end up with a less practical car.

Not that you’ll notice in the front. There’s a wide range of adjustment to the seat and wheel, so tall or short, broad or thin, you should have no trouble getting comfortable. The seats have electrical adjustment, as you’d expect at this price point. They’re sculpted to hold the driver and front-seat passenger in place on a twisty road – we’ve found them really supportive and comfortable on B-road blasts and on long drives. There’s a memory function so more than one driver can save their favoured driving position and find it again at the push of a button.

There’s a lot of storage space, with a large compartment under the central armrest and big door bins. You’ll also find a pair of cupholders and wireless charging for compatible mobile phones.

The driver enjoys a good view out to the front, although as we’ve mentioned the view over your shoulder is hampered by the letter-box rear windscreen. The door mirrors are very large, though, which helps keep a close eye on whatever’s behind you.

Space in the back seats

The sloping roofline does steal a bit of headroom in the back. Kids and shorter adults won’t mind, but taller adults will find their heads quite close to the ceiling.

There’s plenty of legroom, though, so passengers shouldn’t feel too cramped. If you regularly carry adults in the back, an Audi Q8 is a little roomier. Or you could opt for the more practical BMW X5 M which offers similar performance and handling but with the practicality of a conventional SUV body.

Air vents between the front seats keep the back of the car at a comfortable temperature. Better still, the climate control has four zones so passengers on either side of the rear bench can choose their own settings.

Boot space

In isolation, a boot capacity of 580 litres seems like a lot. You’ve certainly got room for a few holiday suitcases. It’s just that the likes of the Audi RS Q8 and Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 offer more.

The sloping roof eats into the available space if you load above the level of the luggage cover, something that’s not a problem if you go for the BMW X5 M.

Let’s not be too critical, though. The boot is very big, and the rear seats split in three parts so you can carry skis or other long loads and still have room for two passengers in the back.

Brilliant infotainment, but not as dramatic as the inside of a Mercedes-AMG

When a car costs well over £100,000, you have the right to expect exceptional fit and finish. BMW has consulted the luxury car play book and have run through it step by step to make a superb cabin.

There’s a solidity to the materials and a precision to the fit, while the design is attractive and modern. Perhaps it doesn’t have the drama of the Mercedes-AMG, but it’s the cabin is crammed with quality and high-tech features.

The head-up display might seem like a gimmick, but it really isn’t, allowing the driver to see key information like speed without taking their eyes from the road. It’s standard on the M Competition.

There’s a twin-screen display, with the one in front of the driver taking the place of conventional dials and the infotainment screen in the middle of the dash. The driver display doesn’t match that in the Audi RS Q8 for the number of configurations, but it has a clean and smart design.

The infotainment system isn’t the latest generation which you’ll find in more recent models like the all-electric BMW iX. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. The newest system looks fantastic, but it’s not quite as easy to use as that in the X6.

You can prod the touchscreen or use the iDrive rotary controller on the centre console. It’s much easier to use the iDrive controller once on the move than prodding at on-screen icons. You’ll find the iDrive is far less distracting than the touchscreen.

There’s also gesture control, which allows you to activate certain functions by waving your arms around in front of the screen. It takes a bit of time to learn the right gestures, though, which leaves most of us wondering if there’s any benefit. But some people have proven to love it, so maybe you will too.

Voice control can also be used, so long as you can persuade the system to understand your accent.

BMW has fitted the X6 M Competition with a mild-hybrid system to take the strain from the engine and improve economy while reducing emissions.

This is still a two-tonne-plus SUV with 625hp, though. Fitting mild-hybrid tech is like installing a solar panel at an oil refinery – it doesn’t make a lot of difference.

The M Competition has the carbon footprint of a small country, with CO2 emissions of 288g/km and official combined fuel economy of 22.2mpg. Use the performance and you’ll be more likely to see economy in the teens.

A sky-high first-year Vehicle Excise Duty bill is part of the on-the-road charges, and you’ll pay the £390 supplement for cars costing over £40,000 for five years from then on.

If your employer is footing the bill, you’ll pay company car benefit-in-kind tax at the top rate of 37%.

The safety experts at Euro NCAP have not tested the X6. They have tested the X5, which is largely the same car beneath its more conventional bodywork.

The X5 scored five stars when it was last tested in 2018. It earned an 89% rating for adult occupant protection, 96% for child occupants, 75% for protecting vulnerable road users, and 75% for its safety assistance systems.

M Competition cars come with a wide range of driver assistance tech as standard, including the radar-based Driving Assistant system to help keep a safe gap to the vehicle ahead. Autonomous emergency braking is standard fit.

Don’t assume that a prestige badge is necessarily a guarantee of reliability. BMW tends to have a mixed record in reliability and customer satisfaction surveys, with some models performing better than others.

Although the X6 is a bit of a niche product, the similar X5 sells in greater numbers and does feature in reliability studies. It performs pretty well, with a better score than many BMW models. So, you can buy an X6 reasonably confident that it shouldn't need anything more than routine servicing.

The X6 comes with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.