Currently reading: X6 hybrid's price questioned
Firm charges European customers almost £40k more for the SUV than those in North America

BMW is set to charge European buyers of its new ActiveHybrid X6 up to £37,709 more for the petrol-electric four-wheel drive than customers in North America when deliveries begin in early 2010, according to official pricing made public last week.

Potential customers in left-hand drive European markets have already begun questioning the new car’s lofty 102,000 euro (£90,979) price tag.

BMW X6 ActiveHybrid first drive reviewSee the hi-res pics of the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid

By comparison, North American buyers of the ActiveHybrid X6 are being asked to hand over $89,500 – a figure which, on today’s Euro/Dollar exchange rate, relates to €59,723 (£53,270).

This represents a difference of €42,277 (£37,709) or over 41 per cent between the price of the new car in Europe and the same model in the US.

Asked why it was planning to charge European buyers well beyond that being asked in the US, BMW’s ActiveHybrid X6 project boss, Peter Tuennemann, said: “US car buyers aren’t prepared to pay as much for a hybrid as their European counterparts. There’s more hybrid competition in the US than in Europe and the price reflects this.”

The new ActiveHybrid X6 is not planned to head to the UK owing to BMW’s decision not to offer it in right-hand drive guise because of the continued popularity of diesel powered versions of the sporty SUV.

Greg Kable

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jelly7961 11 November 2009

Re: X6 hybrid's price questioned

hedgecreep wrote:
the $ is overvalued against the yuan but it's still weak against the euro, ie. what are you talking about ?

It has nothing to do with exchange rate in the long run - it was the same situation 5 years ago too. It has more to do with - how much can we get away with charging?
hedgecreep 10 November 2009

Re: X6 hybrid's price questioned

awesome, more anti X6 propaganda !

fact is the hybrid has a place waiting for it in the U.S. line up and it needs to be priced competitively.

same goes for cars like the 328, which euros lament is `overpriced` compared but which for Americans is the first rung model. sticker price therefore has to meet or undercut rivals like the Infiniti G37 + Acura TL. there is no 318, 320, anemic diesel etc.

poster above, it has f. all to do with build location seeing as the X5 and Z4 are also built at Spartanburg. the $ is overvalued against the yuan but it's still weak against the euro, ie. what are you talking about ?

Jinx59 10 November 2009

Re: X6 hybrid's price questioned

I regularly travel to the Bay Area, San Francisco and visit BMW showrooms to gawp at their 'parking lots'. The choice is absolutely amazing. On one lot I counted 30 M3s. Just choose your colour and drive away. All models are high spec. BMW's entire range is between 25% and 30% above European pricing. Lease an X5 4.4 with full options for $900 per month. Try doing that in Europe.

Europeans subsidize the US car market. At least with BMW. I thought that was obvious.