2018 BMW X6 M

Atop BMW's range of sport activity vehicles -- the term this German brand prefers to attach to its vehicles in a class more commonly known as SUVs or crossovers -- lives the X6 M.

It's a high-performance take on the X6 which, in turn, is essentially a variant of the more conventional X5 model. The X6 M takes the concept of a niche vehicle to a new level, packing a massively powerful turbo V8 into a high-riding vehicle whose interior is surprisingly tight considering its bulk.

For 2018, the X6 M carries over unchanged from last year (save for a $500 price increase), so its 4.4L engine still produces 567 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, which is put to all four wheels through an eight-speed transmission.

The X6's lesser family members (which include versions powered by a turbo six-cylinder and a less-potent version of this car's turbo V8) are covered in a separate buyer's guide entry.

This is not a vehicle you can drive if you dislike attracting attention to yourself. While it's not actually that large, it nonetheless occupies a lot of visual space, especially when viewed from the back.

Not many automakers play in this sandbox, so the X6 M really faces just one direct competitor in the Mercedes-Benz GLE 63 S Coupe, a vehicle that is a conceptual copy of this Bavarian. It's not surprising these two German companies went all-in in this vehicle category given both have been keen of late on producing cars and crossovers for just about any buyer who might walk into one of their showrooms.

BMW is planning to launch a restyled X5 for 2019, but don't expect to see its styling changes carry over to the X6 right away.

Standard features include heated front and rear seats, backup camera, park distance sensors front and rear, navigation, 21-inch wheels, sport seats, 16-speaker stereo, head-up display and four-zone automatic climate control.

Those items are in addition to the list of kit found in the standard X6, which gets steerable automatic Xenon headlights, heated side mirrors that auto-dim and power-fold, heated windshield washer jets, heated steering wheel, power-adjustable steering column, power tailgate, soft-close doors and Bluetooth.

Fuel consumption estimates are 16.6/12.1 L/100 km (city/highway).