BMW’s X6 is an oddity, but it’s a successful oddity: the coupe-like crossover will survive to a brand new generation, and we’ll see the brand new version of the SUV with new looks and a lighter curb weight early in 2014.

The X6′s distinctive body-BMW calls it a Sports Activity Coupe-makes it something of a spot product within the Usa (BMW sold nearly seven X5s to each X6 last year), but it’s enough of successful in international markets like China and Russia to warrant a brand new version.

Autocar reports that some big changes are afoot, starting with the X6′s look: it’ll be more aggressive, perhaps borrowing some visual cues from the 4 Series coupe concept from earlier this year. It’ll sit atop the X5 platform as usual, albeit a shortened version of it, so the ultimate car might be taller (about 1.3 inches), wider, and longer. That are meant to go some distance to fixing some of the current X6′s major shortcomings, its loss of interior space.

Another focus for the hot car was shedding weight. Autocar says that the brand new car’s monocoque chassis will use a lot more high-strength steel, which should shave off several pounds. That’s good to listen to, but we’re somewhat disappointed to listen to that BMW might save more weight by removing the X6′s trick torque-vectoring axles. The brand new car would still offer all-wheel drive with some type of electronic brake-based torque vectoring, that is greater than adequate, however will be sad to determine one of many X6′s hallmarks leave. We hear that base models of the X6 will lose the self-leveling air suspension in favor of normal steel springs (which might save a chunk more weight), while top-trim models will keep the system.

The powertrains, meanwhile, will probably stay put. The X6 will continue with tweaked versions of the three.0-liter turbocharged I-6 and four.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 (in xDrive50i and X6 M states of tune). What’s interesting is that we might even see a return of the ActiveHybrid X6, so that it will mate the three.0-liter turbo I-6 with a gearbox-mounted electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

With the brand new BMW X5 coming later this year, it’s just a matter of time until the X6 follows. Autocar says we are able to expect the X6 sometime within the next 18 months, which points to a spring 2014 release date.

Source: Autocar