At a time when automakers are presenting one hybrid after the other, BMW has is doing the exact opposite: the Bavarian company is killing the ActiveHybrid X6 SUV from its U.S. line-up. Dave Buchko, a spokesperson for BMW North America confirmed the news to enthusiast website Bimmerfile.
The full-hybrid variant of the X6 crossover was only just launched in 2009 as a 2010MY primarily targeting U.S. buyers, but sales on this side of the Atlantic proved to be poor.
The reason wasn’t a lack of power: with a combined output of 480HP and a peak torque of 771.9 Nm (575 lb-ft) from its turbocharged V8 gasoline engine and two electric motors, the hybrid X6 could accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in a mere 5.4 sec.
No, the reason the X6 ActiveHybrid is waving good-bye to the American market is more pedantic: it is extremely pricey at US$88,900 and doesn’t offer any significant gains in terms of fuel consumption as it tips the scales at 5,401 pounds (2,450 kg).
Apparently, most buyers of the X6 were more than willing to shell out the extra… six hundred bucks and opt for the US$89,500 550HP X6 M, even if it consumed 12% more gas the ActiveHybrid.
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