Updated BMW X6 Spied With New Interior, Lots Of Screens

We tested the new BMW X6 approximately 15 months ago and discovered the original coupe-crossover is more refined than ever and comes with some of the best engines BMW has to offer. Apparently, the Bavarian manufacturer is not quite happy with the technologies in the current X6 and is already preparing a facelift for it, less than two years after the third-gen model made its debut.

We have the first spy photos with the refreshed X6 and they show major changes inside the cabin but we'll get to that in a minute. First, let's take a look at the exterior. There's not much to talk about though as this prototype features no camouflage which suggests BMW is not currently prepared to show the updated design.

However, the headlights seem to be different from what we know from the X6 that's on sale. These appear to be provisional clusters fitted only to make the prototype road legal. Our spies told us the X6 is most likely getting reshaped headlights with new internal graphics and we tend to believe that after seeing this test car.

It's much more interesting inside the cabin. There, this prototype features a large curved housing incorporating two separate screens - one for the infotainment system and one for the digital instrument cluster. There's a lot more going on inside as we can also see additional testing equipment and even an old-school keyboard.

It seems that BMW will integrate the HVAC controls into the updated X6's center screen. The physical buttons we know from the current model still exist in this test car but there's a little sticker in German saying the buttons are non-functional. Also worth noting is that the gear shifter is now much smaller but that might not be its final design.

We believe we are at least 10 to 12 months away from seeing the updated X6. This early prototype suggests the changes inside are probably going to be more significant but there might be additional tweaks coming for the exterior, too.