After a busy last year, 2023 is also shaping up to be eventful in terms of product launches. The next-generation 5 Series / i5 will be the most important, but before the G60 arrives, BMW will unveil a Life Cycle Impulse for the X5 and X6. The latter has been spotted undergoing final testing near the Nürburgring ahead of its expected debut next month.
The prototype’s massive air intakes and quad exhausts reveal we’re dealing with the X6 M, also denoted by its large brakes and the M-specific side mirror caps. A carbon fiber spoiler on the tailgate is another telltale sign BMW was putting the finishing touches on the coupe-SUV’s flagship version. Although the current rear end was devoid of any camouflage, surely the taillights will get new LED graphics and the bumper will go under the knife for the LCI.
Much like the X5 M LCI spotted in recent months, the equivalent X6 is getting slimmer headlights flanking a kidney grille that thankfully won’t be overly tall. Peeking through the camo is a redesigned front bumper that appears to have a more complex design with extra air inlets flanking the radiator grille. The center-mounted radar sensor is just as prominent as before but we’re hoping there will come a day when advancements in tech will make it less visible.
Although the spy shots do not depict the interior, we do know the 2024 BMW X6 M will transition to the iDrive 8 or the newly announced 8.5 version. Much like the bigger X7, a simplified dashboard is coming for the facelifted SUV by integrating the climate controls into the 14.9-inch touchscreen. A fully digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster positioned to the left of the infotainment will give the X6 the same layout found not just on the X7, but also on other SUVs such as the iX and XM.
Believed to come only in Competition flavor, the X6 M will adopt BMW’s new mild-hybrid S68 engine. The twin-turbo, 4.4-liter V8 already used by the XM, X7 M60i, and 760i is said to make somewhere in the region of 600 horsepower and could offer better efficiency courtesy of the 48V tech. Of course, the corresponding X5 M will be identical in terms of the powertrain.
Following an increasingly likely February 2023 debut, the X6 M facelift is scheduled to enter production in April, so the first deliveries should take place this summer.
[Photos by instagram.com/wilcoblok]
