• Supportive front seats
  
• Great driving position
• Poor rearwards visibility

It’s not unusual for one BMW interior to look like another. After all, it makes plenty of sense cost wise at the very least, for each model to share as much switchgear and componentry as they can. But here, with the X6 and current BMW X5, the differences in the front end of the cabin are so minimal we’d forgive you if you simply missed them completely.

Add the excellent Comfort seats and you’ll benefit from some of the best in the business; we especially like the way the backrest adjustment can pivot halfway up said backrest rather than only from the base, and every adjustment is electric. Fail to get comfortable in one of these and you’re not likely to fit in any car whatsoever.

It may take you a little while to get used to the central I-Drive controller for the infotainment screen, but once you’ve used it a couple of times it soon becomes second nature, and we’d wager it’s still one of the most intuitive systems available.

Lots of personalisation for its upmarket interior

If you want to up the ‘quality feel’ of your X6 then you can spec up the interior to exactly how you want it, right down to some interesting colours for its leather interior. How does Ivory or Cognac, which includes Bi-colour Nappa leather for the seats and upper instrument panel area as well as a high gloss interior trim, strike you?

Although the German maker would like us to believe its Sports Activity Coupe is all about driving enjoyment, there’s no getting away from how important BMW X6 comfort is to buyers. After all, for all the sporty posturing, most will use them to complete long distances with the minimal of fuss – and it’s very good at that.

How comfortable is the X6?

• It’s quiet and refined
• Firm, but supportive seats
• Ride is acceptable even on the largest wheels

On the whole it’s good – the near silence of the turbocharged diesels at a constant cruise combines with comfortable suspension and excellent wind noise suppression to boost comfort further. Unfortunately the M50d, when extended towards the top of its rev range and driven hard, can sound a little harsh.

So far we’ve only tried cars fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels and adaptive suspension. Even in Comfort mode there’s no disguising the sheer size of those rims, with sharp surface imperfections making themselves known in the cabin and some noticeable tyre roar. There’s not much to notice between suspension modes either if we’re honest, though Sport does sharpen things up at speed and Comfort does its best attempt at removing the edge from proceedings.

Regardless of suspension selection there’s almost no noticeable bodyroll, whatever the speed, and passengers won’t feel like they’re being flung around. The Sports seats up-front in the M50d ensure that driver and front-seat passenger will feel secure and supported too.