The Big BMW X cars have got their M on in Singapore with 625hp and S$600k+ price tags

SINGAPORE

BMW has announced the debut of the super-fast and powerful M versions of its two big X cars, the X5 M Competition and X6 M Competition.

The X5 M goes for $600,888 with COE, while the X6 M is just $10k more at $610,888 with COE. Naturally you will have to wait for the circuit breaker lockdown to end on May 4 before you can view them at the Munich Performance Automobiles showroom at Alexandra Road.

The competition never lets up, and BMW is keeping ahead by giving these two large performance SUVs the same, massively powerful engine: a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 with a maximum torque figure of 750 Nm and 625 horsepower. The engine is connected to an M Sport exhaust system that claims to translate all of the engine’s free-revving eagerness and propulsive power into an epic soundtrack to match.

Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, whose gearshift characteristics can be adjusted using the Drivelogic button on the M-specific selector lever.

Both the X5 M Competition and X6 M Competition cover the 0 to 100km/h sprint in 3.8 seconds. On the way to 200km/h, the X6 M Competition is slightly faster with a time of 13.2 seconds versus the X5 M Competition’s 13.4 seconds due to the X6’s more aerodynamic body shape. Both cars are electronically limited to 250km/h top speeds.

In addition to Road and Sport settings, both cars also feature a Track setting designed exclusively for use on race circuits. Besides reducing the amount of information appearing in the displays for less distraction, the safety-enhancing interventions initiated by the driver assistance systems are reduced to a bare minimum or deactivated altogether. 

The original terror twins: a look at the previous-gen BMW X5 M and X6 M

The exclusive selection of equipment fitted as standard includes the BMW Head-Up Display with M-specific readouts, M multifunction seats for the driver and front passenger, and the BMW Display Key. Both cars also come with the BMW Live Cockpit Professional with navigation system and the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant as standard.

If you like your 600+ horsepower SUVs with more Italian in their stallions, Maserati’s Levante Trofeo has you covered with its V8 Ferrari heart

You might have already latched onto the fact that the two cars are mechanically identical, and the only real choice that a buyer has to make is whether you like the edgy coupe-like styling of the X6 or the more traditional SUV box that is the X5. Even the interiors are largely similar, though you do get a little more headroom in the back seat with the X5 M Competition.

There’s also very little in the way of price difference between them. The X5 M Competition retails for $600,888 with COE, while the X6 M Competition is just $10k more at $610,888 with COE.

Want something a full-blown M SUV, but a little more compact? Try the BMW X3 M Competition on for size

The Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 isn’t confirmed for Singapore yet, so the main competition to challenge these two M-badged BMW Xers come in the form of the Audi RS Q8 (to be launched), the Porsche Cayenne Turbo ($607,188 without COE) and Cayenne Turbo Coupe ($621,888 without COE).

In that regard, the BMW duo appear to be excellent value for money though, as they are not only cheaper by a fair bit but also employ more powerful engines against Porsche’s 550hp, 4.0-litre turbo V8.  

The cars are based on the current BMW X5 (current model reviewed here) and X6 (launched here last November) both now in their third-generation.

The first X5 M and X6 M were from the second generation and, slightly infamously, the first all-wheel drive cars from BMW M. Yet the pair of M monsters here are a first of sorts, as they are the first X5 and X6 cars to wear the ‘M Competition’ badge. The last-gen cars were simply badged as the X5 M and X6 M.