BMW X6 Facelift Spied Showing Slightly Larger Kidney Grilles

The refreshed BMW X6 loses some camouflage in a new set of spy shots. Our photographers caught a pre-production prototype outside the Nurburgring in Germany and this time around, it wears less disguise than before. We can finally take a look at the front fascia where a pair of larger kidney grilles seem to be the highlight, though there are other visual changes worth talking about, too.

But first, the grilles. The shape of the panels sitting in front of the radiators seems to be unchanged but the overall size has grown slightly. Don’t worry – the dimensions are not anywhere near what the M3/M4 duo has and in the context of the massive front fascia the X6 features, the redesigned grilles actually look very good.

Surrounding the kidney grilles now are slimmer headlights likely featuring laser technology in the higher trim levels. Below the grilles, the front bumper features reshaped air intakes and a slightly more aggressive bumper design. Overall, the front fascia looks more sculptured than before, which is definitely a nice change over the outgoing version of the coupe-SUV.

Even more important changes are likely hiding inside the cabin. Our sources told us the dashboard will likely receive BMW’s new dual-screen curved display setup as seen in the i4 and iX. The infotainment part of that display will run the company’s latest infotainment software. Another novelty is expected to come in the form of a new gear selector with a minimalist design, similar to what the iX has. These changes haven’t been confirmed by the automaker yet, though.

We expect further changes to occur under the hood. Most importantly, the M Performance model positioned below the full-blown X6 M is expected to gain BMW’s new S68 4.4-liter V8 twin-turbo engine, identical to the one found underhood the X7 M60i. The X6 M60i will send 530 horsepower (390 kilowatts) to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox and BMW’s xDrive system. Other electrified six- and eight-cylinder engines will be part of the lineup, though we don’t know much about what will change.