The BMW X5 and X6 Are Going in Opposite Directions
BMW typically does well in the U.S. market, as it’s one of the most sought-after luxury brands. It brings along a certain amount of prestige that many drivers crave, and the sales data backs this up. However, the X5 seems to be performing better this year than the X6, and there are several reasons for this.
Things are looking up for the BMW X5
According to the BMW Group, the X5 is performing very well in Q1 of 2023. It sold 17,315 vehicles compared to 16,477 vehicles sold in Q1 2022. This is an increase of 5.1%.
While the BMW X5 is selling better than it did a year ago, the same cannot be said for the X6. In fact, its sales have dropped drastically. In Q1 2023, it sold only 2,286, as opposed to Q1 2022, when it sold 2,768. This is a drop of 17.4%, which has to hurt.
The BMW X3 and X4 are thankfully performing well and showing growth. The iX has shown the most sales growth of all, with an increase of 577.5%. The X5 is currently the best-selling BMW in the U.S., and there are a few reasons why this may be the case.
Why is the X5 so popular?
The 2024 BMW X5 has a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine that generates 375 hp. It’s a great-looking SUV, even if it does have the much-criticized kidney grille.
Two rows are standard, but there is a three-row option, which may play a role in why more people are choosing the X5. There are also a lot of standard features like synthetic leather upholstery, forward collision warning, blind-spot detection, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster display, and a 14.9-inch touchscreen that is hard to miss.
The top trim, the M Competition, costs over $122,000. That’s more than most consumers can afford, but it may just be worth it for those who can. You’ll get a powerful 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that gets over 617 hp.
The BMW X6 isn’t performing as well
One reason the BMW X6 hasn’t had much luck in the sales department is that nothing has changed. While this could be viewed as a good thing, since the X6 is an excellent vehicle with many features, it may have been overshadowed by other vehicles with significant updates.
There’s also the fact that the lack of changes means that you can buy almost the exact same vehicle in the form of the 2022 model year X6 for a lower price. If it’s a used model, this would decrease the cost even more.
Finally, the X6 is a coupe. While plenty of people enjoy coupes, there’s a reason why automakers like Ford have phased sedans out of their lineup. They simply aren’t selling as well as they used to due to practicality concerns.
Regardless, the X6 is a great vehicle if you’re looking for a coupe. It comes equipped with an inline 6-cylinder engine that produces 335 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque. This is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and AWD.
The X6 has two 12.3-inch screens, blind spot warning, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention alert, and more. Other features that are included standard are a USB connection, USB with external media control, satellite radio, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
It’s not exactly cheap, as the X6 has an MSRP of $70,100. Even so, it’s a BMW, so that’s not exactly shocking. Things may turn around for the X6 in the future, but that remains to be seen.
