2011 will be the last year BMW offers a hybrid version of the X6, at least in the United States. Officials confirmed the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid will not return to the U.S. market for 2012.
BMW X6 ActiveHybrid
BMW spokesperson Dave Buchko told us earlier today that the X6 ActiveHybrid will no longer be sold in the U.S., but would soldier on in all other international markets. The discontinuation will not affect the availability of the ActiveHybrid7 or BMW’s plans for an ActiveHybrid version of the 5 Series sedan.
The BMW X6 ActiveHybrid was born out of the joint venture formed by General Motors, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Chrysler to develop a two-mode hybrid system. In the X6, the hybrid system – which contained two electric motors integrated into the transmission — was mated with a twin-turbocharged, 4.4-liter V-8. Net output was rated at a healthy 480 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque.
Each of the manufacturers also bore products from the joint venture, but not all remain on the market. Chrysler’s Aspen and Dodge Durango Hybrids met an unceremonious demise shortly after their launch, and Mercedes’ ML450 Hybrid was discontinued when the third-generation M-Class launched earlier this year. GM’s full-size SUV and truck hybrids (Chevrolet Silverado and Tahoe, GMC Sierra and Yukon, Cadillac Escalade) will continue for the foreseeable future.
