BMW Adds Three-Seat Rear Bench Option for the X6 and New Equipment Goodies for X5

Starting from April 2011, BMW X6 customers will be able to specify the crossover model with a three-seat rear bench. Up until now, the X6 was offered exclusively with a four-seat layout. The extra accommodation is available for all X6 models with the exception of the X6 ActiveHybrid, and can also be ordered for the X6 M. Besides the third seat that replaces the previous storage unit between the two rear passengers, the five-seat model also gets new leather options.

BMW also announced that the new batch of X6 models will feature shift paddles on the steering wheel whose operating logic follows the principle familiar from the M cars: for manual shifting of the eight-speed Sport automatic transmission, the right paddle is used for upshifts and the left for downshifts.

Furthermore, both the BMW X5 and X6 can be ordered with new Y-spoke design 20-inch alloy wheels shod in 275/40 and 315/35 front and rear tires respectively, plus a Comfort Access system that illuminates the car’s surroundings, and an updated range of ConnectedDrive services. The latter includes the BMW Apps option, which means that iPhone users will be able to access Facebook, Twitter and international radio stations, regardless of the car’s location.

New BMW X6 xDrive35i and xDrive50i M Sport Packages Include Significant Power Upgrades

This fall will see the introduction of a new M Sport package for the BMW X6 xDrive35i and xDrive50i turbocharged gasoline models. What's interesting about this package is that, unlike other M Division kits that comprise mainly of styling upgrades and quite often slightly more aggressively tuned suspension and different wheels and tires, this one actually adds much in the way of performance.

More specifically, the M Sport Package sees the X6 xDrive35i gaining the same tweaked version of the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six found on the 740i that produces 326HP at 5,800 rpm and 450Nm of peak torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm. That's an additional 20HP and 50Nm of torque compared to the standard X6 xDrive35i.

The X6 xDrive50i (damn those marketing folks at BMW and their over-complicated naming systems...) gets an even greater power boost as the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8's output is lifted from 408HP to 446HP. In comparison, the new X6 M model's 4.4L V8 turbo makes 555 horsepower.

If we translated the German press release correctly (if not, we'll be much obliged if our German readers could take a look at it below and make any necessary corrections or/and additions), the M Sport Package for the X6 SAVs will also include a body kit, 20-inch alloy wheels and a sportier interior trim.

For the record, the vehicle pictured above is the 555HP X6 M variant as the Bavarian automaker did not disclose any photographs of the X6 with the M Sport Package.

BMW M Car Sales Increase by More than 14 Percent in 2010

Sales of BMW's M car series continue to sprout as the Bavarian company's performance division concluded the 2010 business year with a 14.2 percent increase to 16,967 units, despite the phase out of the V10-powered M5 and M6 models.

The M brand's most popular model remained the M3 with 5,729 units of the coupe, 2,544 units of the Convertible and 1,843 Saloons. Worldwide sales of the newly introduced all-wheel drive X5 M and X6 M totaled 2,778 and 3,082 respectively.

The USA was once again the most important single market in 2010 for the performance brand with overall BMW M car sales up by more than 6 percent to 6,821 units. As before, the number two sales region was the German domestic market with sales of 1,716 cars, followed by Britain and Northern Ireland with 1,264 units.

BMW M's division saw its most dynamic growth in China where sales rose by 355 percent to 1,088 units, making the country the fourth-strongest market for the brand. Significant gains were also registered in Brazil (+ 237 percent) and Russia (+ 104 percent).

The German company said that it also recorded a 1 percent increase in sales of the M Sport packages, with 138,800 units in 2010. The main market for M Sport packages was Britain and Northern Ireland, followed by Germany and the USA. The was also a significant jump in the demand for the firm's Individual program, with 24,155 options being ordered in 2010, an increase of 47 percent over 2009.