BMW Withdraws Hybrid | Automotive Discovery

Dave Buchko, a BMW insider, recently announced that the automaker?s ActiveHybrid X6 ?will not be continued into the 2012 model year here in the U.S.? This comes less than two years after the debut of the X6. The ActiveHybrid X6 was first launched in 2009 and praised as the most powerful hybrid on the market.

The reason for the vehicle?s banishment is obvious. The ActiveHybrid X6 starts at $89,775, making the hybrid vehicle impractical even though it was designed to appeal to the green performance market. The X6 is powered by a 4.4-liter V-8 which is combined with electric motors for a healthy 480 horsepower. The ActiveHybrid is capable of 0 to 60 times of 5.4 seconds, according to BMW. The automaker originally estimated a mpg of 28 highway, but in real life the hybrid only rated 19 mpg highway; the diesel version got better fuel efficiency, by at the cost of power. In addition, the X6 was also slower, heavier, and less fuel efficient than the X6 xDrive50i. To make matters even worse, the Active Hybrid X6 is more expensive by almost $20,000.

The X6 xDrive 50i has 400 horsepower and is capable of zero to sixty mpg in 5.2 seconds. The vehicle gets 20 mpg on the highway, too. It stands to reason that most people who can afford a $70,000 vehicle could probably kick in an additional $20,000, which puts the two vehicles in direct competition for the same green market. Since the more affordable vehicle is also faster, lighter and more efficient, BMW?s decision was probably inevitable.

For that matter, consumers have probably noticed that the X6 M, referred to as ?insanely fast?, costs only $600 more than the ActiveHybrid; but the X6 M is 0.9 seconds faster 0 to 60 mph, weighs approximately 500 pounds less, and gets a highway rating that is roughly equivalent to the Active Hybrid?s rating.

Buchko didn?t comment on the possibility that the X6 could eventually have alternate means of power. The BimmerFile, a site for BMW enthusiasts, predicts that the 2012 S Series will add an optional six-cylinder hybrid.

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Source: http://automotivediscovery.com/bmw-withdraws-hybrid/9210381/

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