How many people really know the difference between an SAV and SUV? Truth is, there isn’t, really. BMW created the SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) acronym to stand out from the Sports Utility Vehicle crowd, but the Bavarian marque took it one step further with the creation of the X6, a car it called the world’s first SAC. BMW says an SAC is a vehicle that combines “the agility, performance and athletic design of a big BMW Coupé with the versatility and raised seating position of an SAV”.
More specifi cally, the SAC, or Sports Activity Coupé, has more sportscar-like on-road ability than an SUV. And that’s where there is a real difference. It’s not about the 'activity' and 'utility' buzzwords, because an X5 really is just an SUV. No, with the rather puzzling X6 taking the genre a sporting step further, it’s all about the word 'coupé'.
For the true coupé afi cionado the description will not ring well. Only a manufacturer of BMW’s ilk could pull off a unique vehicle such as the X6 and get away with it (although the über X6 M defi nitely adds a bit of credibility to the range). The impressive X6 xDrive40d I drove to Mpumulanga takes the argument another step further by adding serious lugging ability at low revs to the formula. The 40d is a bit of a misnomer, as BMW has been doing more and more lately, but it denotes a potent three-litre bi-turbodiesel in-line-six that churns out a whopping 600Nm at 1500rpm, paired with 225kW at 4400rpm, resulting in a refined, pliable and mostly silent vehicle with frugal fuel habits too.
Four up on the trip, with the boot packed to the limit, it averaged between 9.5 and 9.7 litres per 100km for the entire trip of some 1700km – including stop-start driving in the Kruger Park and 120km/h cruising on provincial roads. Add to that a zero to 100km/h sprint of 6.7 seconds and you start to get the picture.
The secret behind the 40d’s impressive dynamism is due mainly to the intelligent TwinPower multistage turbo technology with variable turbine geometry and common-rail direct injection. The set-up not only signifi cantly reduces fuel consumption but also simultaneously increases engine outputs.
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