Identification

To describe its products that many people would call SUVs, BMW instead uses the term Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV). The truth, however, is that BMW SUVs are actually crossover vehicles. They are not SUVs, but they also aren't traditional cars. Instead, they combine elements of both vehicle types into a new product which attempts to offer all of the benefits of an SUV while also offering the benefits of a car.

Types
There are currently 3 separate crossover SUVs offered by BMW. The first type, the BMW X3, is based on the BMW 3-Series cars. The X3 features a 260 hp, 3.0 liter engine and is a front-engine vehicle with four-wheel drive. The next type is the BMW X5. The X5 is a slightly large vehicle and is available with several different engine types, the lowest one offering 225 hp and the high-end model offering 350 hp. The X5 is based on the BMW 5-Series cars and comes standard with all-wheel drive. The last BMW crossover SUV is the X6. The X6 is another mid-size crossover and also offers different engine configurations. Depending on the engine an X6 can generate anywhere between 235 and 406 hp. Four-wheel drive comes standard on all models of it. The X6 is the newest X-Series offering from the company.

Size
As crossover SUVs, all of the X-Series vehicles from BMW are considerably smaller than most traditional SUVs. They tend to be shorter and less wide than SUVs, but longer and wider than the majority of cars. In terms of cargo space, BMW's X-Series vehicles offer nearly as much room as a traditional SUV, including much more room than a normal car.

History
For the vast majority of its history, BMW did not offer any vehicle type resembling an SUV. Though the company got its original start as the maker of airplane engines, it has mainly offered cars and motorcycles as its chief manufactured goods since the end of World War II. During the 1990's, however, BMW decided to try its hand at competing with the auto companies that were selling SUV's. The company designed its X5 and released it to the public in 1999. The X5 was well-received and so popular that BMW decided to release a smaller version to compete with small SUVs. Thus, the X3 was born and hit the market in 2003. The latest manifestation, a more sheer-performance model known as the X6, was released in 2008.