Make a cross with a sports car, a coupe and a SUV, what you might have, is the new jewel of BMW, the X6; which they call a SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle). It is declared as the world’s first Sports Activity Coupe. The vehicle is already in the production line and soon expected to reign over the roads.

The vehicle was announced a couple of years ago. However, since then some of the designs have been changed and as displayed in the shows this year, the car looks little different than the prototype design and concepts. However, the design is yet in the pretty stylish BMW way.

The concept car was first unveiled in Frankfurt at the IAA 2007. It has a massive set of 21 inches wheel and little lower than the current model X5. However, another new model of the X5 series is released in the mean time, which is different from the new generation X6.

BMW introduced the xDrive technology which is an all-wheel-drive technology having electronic control to redistribute power among the two axles. In X6, the technology is also called “Dynamic Performance Control”. This is expected to provide an excellent handling and smarter and intelligent four wheel drive,. However, some critics mention about some compromises in the aspect of stability. But ultimately, the test drives proved the X6 being much more comfortable, resistant to dive or roll and a complete satisfaction in terms of vehicle control. Thanks to the hybrid concept ActiveHybrid, a result of collaboration with GM and Daimler.

Two versions of the X6 are expected to be on sale from May 2008; the BMW X6 3.5i (V8 engine variant producing 300hp) with a starting price of $52,500 and a later release of BMW X6 5.0i (inline six-cylinder engine variant producing 400hp) with a starting price of $63,000. However, this price is kept lower in the US for commercial reasons, so the selling price in Europe could be higher. Both the versions will have Twin Turbo and direct injection engines.

It will be manufactured in Spartanburg, South Carolina. There are no real technical details known yet. There will also be a new version of the BMW X5 in 2006 that will lead the way.

This BMW X6 is considered to be the real hot BMW after a long time. Let’s just see, how many units they sell!

ACC is the new technology being available with few BMW models which means an Active Cruise Control or sometimes called the Adaptive Cruise Control. It’s a technology of automatically controlling speed taking in consideration the proximity of nearby vehicles.

ACC is a system based on radar sensors which calculates the distance of nearby vehicles up to a range of 120 meters. Depending upon the relative speed and distance of a nearby vehicle, the system may slow down the engine or brake softly to adjust own speed. To monitor the road ahead, a radar sensor with three beams is used.

When you have a vehicle within 120 meter of your car, it is immediately picked up by the ACC radar eye. It takes subsequent readings to estimate the target vehicles relative speed, distance and future positions depending upon the present factors. With all these information available to the processor of the ACC, it will take actions like slowing down the engine or applying a mild brake. Thus it will keep your car at a safe distant constantly till the front vehicle is cleared. Once the ACC finds that the vehicle ahead poses no threat or has been cleared, it will regain its original speed by accelerating at its own.

The apart from the radar signals from the sensors, the ACC also takes consideration of other data inputs form on board systems like the ASC+T, ABS or DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) . Thus the system’s computer has data on the revs (wheel revolution), centrifugal force (while turning), etc. So, it can calculate difficult conditions like target vehicle estimation even while turning on a curve.

However, if the driver himself applies brakes or accelerates to avoid any situation, while ACC was taking action. However, when you are running freely and accelerate normally, the ACC is not deactivated. The system operates normally if you run at a speed over 30 kmph. The ACC is also very useful while going down a slope as it can keep a speed constant at its own.

Though ACC is designed to operate in inclement weather, like rain, fog or storm, you may not depend upon the automatic system fully to remain safe. Moreover, the ACC is not able to pick up static objects, like a jam or parked car. So, at all times the sole responsibility is on the driver.

Does parking bother you much? Specially, when parking in a confined place? No more fears and tearing of hairs. Here comes BMW with the parking solution of the future; the Park Distance Control (PDC).

Park Distance Control or the PDC is the new technology from BMW to let you park your dear vehicle safely (also making the parked ones safe). It is a device which acts like eyes and ears of you all around your vehicle. The Park Distance Control will tell you whether you are too close to something or not. It uses sound waves to measure distances all around your car. The sensors at the extremities of your car emit sound waves (of course not audible by human ear) which on being reflected (echoed) give you the amount of space between your car and the object. The time gap between the emission and the reception of the echo gives the calculation of distance between the sensor and the reflecting body. The basic operation is similar to the echo-sounders used on board ships and vessels to measure underwater depth.

The Park Distance Control could be very useful if you have low visibility, mirrors obstructed or low lying obstructions around your car. It can monitor all the distances around your car giving you a safe parking manoeuvre.

The Park Distance Control is also very much effective to save small children moving around or animals lying aside. The Park Distance Control will detect also these living creatures and inform you the distance. To make the warning system effective, an audio alarm has been incorporated which generates distinguishable sound signals to warn you.

The present BMW models coming with Park Distance Control have four ultrasonic (emits sound waves with higher frequencies beyond human hearing range) sensors at the front of the car, located in the bumper. Though possibly looking front is not a problem, but these sensors are particularly useful when you are parking with a low visibility or where you have very low obstructions at the front. Then there are four other sensors at the back, of which two are fitted on the rear-bumper corners and two in the centre.

The corner sensors at the rear will emit a beeping warning when you have something within 24 inches range. On the other hand, the centre sensors of the rear bumper will warn you if they detect something within 59 inches. However, whenever any object comes within 12 inches, these beeping warning will turn into solid alarms.

All these alarms are sounded from the concerned part of the car to give you the correct picture of the scene. The alarm becomes intense if you keep on closing the obstacle. The PDC uses differently pitched tones to avoid confusion between a front side alarm and a rear alarm.

The PDC starts working at its own when the car goes backwards and it is shut down automatically when the car reaches a speed of 18 mph. However, you can override the automatic system and switch it on or off manually, too.

In the new BMW from E65 7 Series, the Park Distance Control has a visual display also. It displays a “from the top” view of the parking space (the detection area is 1.5 metres at the front and 2 metres at the back). The obstacles which are detected from the echoes are displayed in solid colours. Thus the driver can have a “god’s view” of the parking game.

Let’s call it the new BMW parking manoeuvre video game!