BMW’s marketing department possesses an utterly relentless competence when it comes to the business of expanding the reach of the blue-and-white propeller across the motoring world. 
It’s not a part of the company that does anything without a very good reason. Which is why I was fascinated to see that the shiny new X6 in our car park wears apparently superfluous “XDrive” branding on its front doors. Looking at the pricelists confirms the new SUV-coupe’s clumsy moniker – officially this is the “X6 XDrive 35D.”
Leading to the obvious question: why is so much play being made of the fact this X6, like all its current siblings, is four-wheel driven? No such fuss is made abo
ut the equally traction-endowed X5, after all.
The only logical conclusion I was able to draw – and Germans are nothing if not logical – is that BMW’s marketing supremos are leaving the way clear for a forthcoming two-wheel drive version.
Officially, of course, there are no such plans. But I can’t help thinking that a lighter, more economical rear-drive X6 powered by the company’s new twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel motor would hit the spot with tax-slapped British buyers.
And if it does turn up, just remember where you heard about it first…