America says goodbye to the BMW X6 Active Hybrid 09/22/2011
BMW is discontinuing sales of its X6 Active Hybrid in America, which wasn't selling very well anyway. Bimmerfile.com, a BMW enthusiast website, received confirmation from BMW North America spokesman Dave Buchko that the hybrid car has reached its end, and no plans have been made to upgrade or redesign the X6 for the hybrid market.
The hybrid crossover was first introduced to the U.S. market in 2009, and its nearly $90,000 price tag was part of the reason that sales were less-than-desirable. It was also only 12 percent more efficient than the X6 M, so many drivers opted to buy the X6 M instead, which offers much better performance.
The news source reports that part of the reason that the X6 Hybrid did not see much success in America is because BMW put all the emphasis on power, while other hybrid cars were focusing on efficiency. There are plenty of powerful vehicles on the market that have nearly the same power and fuel efficiency, so the X6 did not really stand out.
BMW's X6 Active Hybrid is one of the most powerful hybrid vehicles in the world, with 480 horsepower, a maximum torque of 575 pound-feet and a twin-turbo V8 engine combined with two synchronous electric motors. It can race from zero to 60 in just 5.4 seconds. The X6 M, on the other hand, maxes out at 555 horses with less torque (501 lb-ft) and a 4.7 acceleration time from zero to 60, according to Left Lanes News.
The German automaker has another hybrid in its lineup, the Active Hybrid 7, which it claims is the "world's fastest street-legal hybrid," but it costs about $8,000 more than the X6 they just discontinued.