BMW X6 Outsells Porsche Cayenne; Niche-Splitting SUV Proves Popular In Australia

WHEN IT FIRST arrived on the scene ten months ago, you would have been hard pressed to find a car that polarised opinions quite as much as the BMW X6.

Many said it created a niche of its own and catered to a market that didn't exist, while others said it would be a sales flop. Still others, more than a few apparently, loved its unique styling and sheer 'presence'.

BMW has now announced that it has been anything but a failure in the Australian market. A total of 545 X6s have been sold since it went on sale here in the middle of 2008, making the fastbacked crossover more popular than the Porsche Cayenne - it's closest competitor.

It's also proved succesful at enticing new customers into the BMW fold, with around 40 percent of X6 buyers being new to the brand. Overall, more than 35,000 X6s have been sold worldwide.

The twin-turbo diesel X6 XDrive35d was the most popular with 36 percent of all X6 customers opting for the fuel-efficient powertrain, while the twin-turbo V8 XDrive50i and twin-turbo petrol inline six XDrive 35i took 33 and 31 percent of sales respectively.

The local X6 range will be boosted later this year by the arrival of the X6 M, which is already generating significant interest.