BMW X6 XDrive 50i

You expect the 20-inch wheels and the run-flat tyres to give your kidneys a hard time over anything less-than-perfect tarmac. But happily this is not the case. Yes, the ride is firm and thumps over sharp bumps, but it doesn’t get as uncomfortable as you would expect. Of course, it’s nowhere near the cosseting you get in a Mercedes-Benz M-class.

There aren’t many tall, 4WD cars weighing as much as 2,190kg that feel as agile as the X6. The X6’s optional active steering (it increases assistance and speeds up the rack at low speeds, while reducing assistance and applied lock at higher speeds) is accurate and has fantastic feel. In ‘Sport’ mode, the adaptive drive system swivels the anti-roll bars and adjusts damper rates, so there’s almost no body roll and keeps the X6 supremely stable through corners. You can throw the X6 through corners, the massive 315 rear tyres claw into the tarmac, the xDrive and the new differential sorting out any mid-corner traction issues you might have. It’s a BMW after all.