BMW X5 M F95/X6 M F96

The latest-generation BMW X5 and its coupe-crossover derivative, the X6, gained some extra muscles courtesy of the R&D folks from BMW M Power and with that, the all-new X5 M and the all-new X6 M are picking up where its predecessors left off by delivering some beef to the speedo boys who are or aren't interested in high-performance SUVs that doesn't really make any sense in tackling sports kingdoms, whatever that meant.

The new BMW X5 M, starts at under 130K, and the new X6 M, starts at under 145K, are the big boys of the M garage that combines the same exhilirating performance inherited from most M cars while staying true to its practicality and utility characters like almost any SUV in the world does, well almost.

At first glance, they look exactly similar compared to its normal brethrens, apart from the terrifying front face that got the whole world questioning them, but since they're the M variants, they've gained some extra protein on the outside, making them even more cool despite its dull and vain fronts that today's BMWs don. On the inside, they still seat up to five people and have decent boot space, well the X5's is, but with some sport seats and M steering wheel with customizble modes that suits your driving style, along with some manly stuff that smells like a man's perfume when you get inside, these interiors surely fit to its high performance character.

Under the bonnet, the X5 M and the X6 M are equipped with the same 4.4L V8 BiTurbo engine that powered the uber-cool M5 and its M8 cousins. In Competition guise, it produces up to 625ps of power and 750Nm of torque. Mated to an automatic gearbox, they do 0-100kph in less than four seconds and a top speed of up to 290kph courtesy of an optional package.

The turbocharged V8 engine really feels meaty just like its tiny equivalents but the way they handling is worth questionable because while these guys come with the same M xDrive feature as the M5, the X5 M and the X6 M doesn't have a special drift mode, which sucks but while they're known to be heavy hitters, the X5 M and the X6 M sure knows a thing or two about being capable on and off the road. On a normal road, the rear-biased mechanicals sure makes them behave like sportscars but on the dirt, they're almost working rather well, although this might spoil the M character into it so why would you want to take an M SUV to a dirt anyway? It's what they're made for or so I thought.

With tons of mechanical undersides implanted into them, ranging from the bespoke chassis tech, extremely stiff mountings, M-specific suspension and active roll stabilisation, M Servotronic steering, and M compound brakes, among many others, these SUVs are all about getting the speedo boys addicted to them all day, all night, until they are fully satisfied.

They maybe the elephants in the M room, but the new models surely know how to keep the speedo boys interested for more, whatever the reason.

Photo: BMW AG