BMW has been spotted testing prototypes for an updated version of the X6.
Prototypes for an updated version of the related X5 have been out and about for well over a year, and both refreshed SUVs should arrive late this year or early next as 2023 models. Updated versions of the spicy X5 M and X6 M should arrive around the same time.
The current X6 arrived in 2019 as a 2020 model, with the X5 hitting the market one year prior. In BMW tradition, the vehicles are now about to receive their respective mid-cycle updates.
2023 BMW X6 facelift spy shots - Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
The tweaks to the exterior will be mild, judging by the prototypes. Look for new internals for the lights and revised fascias front and rear. The interior is also likely to feature some updates, including possibly a more advanced infotainment system with a larger screen similar to what we see in the iX electric crossover.
It isn't clear what's planned for the powertrains but some improvements to efficiency or performance, or both, are likely. In the U.S., the X6 is currently offered with the choice of a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 or a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8. The inline-6 is rated at 335 hp and can be ordered with rear- or all-wheel drive. The V-8 is rated at 523 hp as standard but there's also a high-spec version rated at 600 hp in the X6 M and 617 hp in the X6 M Competition. V-8 models come standard with all-wheel drive, and all X6 models use an 8-speed automatic. BMW has just introduced a new version of the V-8 in the updated 2023 X7 and redesigned 2023 7-Series, and this engine should end up in the updated X5 and X6 as well. The V-8 also features in the new 2023 XM, where it is paired with a plug-in hybrid system.
Production of the X6 for worldwide sale is handled at BMW Group's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The current 2022 model is priced from $68,345, including a $995 destination charge. We don't expect much of a change to pricing with the introduction of the updated model.
