BMW X-Series showoff abilities in Indonesia

The Revenge of Generation X

SURABAYA, Indonesia — Seruni Point is wrapped in a cloak of darkness and, if not for a few battery-powered lanterns and glowing charcoal in pots, we would have been tripping all over ourselves. Well actually, the powerful headlights of a convoy of X-model BMWs which have converged in this high altitude do give adequate illumination.

Our delegation of motoring media from the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia has found its way here in style aboard the X3, X4, X5, and X6 sport utes – setting off from the picturesque Jiwa Jawa Resort 30 minutes away. Part of the sprawling Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Seruni Point is probably the best perch from which to command an unforgettable view of a fiery foursome of volcanoes that are Mts. Bromo, Semeru, Kursi, and Batok, and valley at their feet.

Through difficult and steep terrain, the BMWs proved poised and unperturbed just as they had been at the start of our journey from the heart of Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, into the conservation area where temperatures can dip into single digits. Mount Bromo is said to be one of Indonesia’s most active volcanos, and gets even more attention owing to its location – right in the middle of a plain quite appropriately called Sea of Sand. The fine powder stretches across 5,250 hectares – this while being at an altitude of about 2,100 meters.

This unique experience is devised for five batches of lucky dealers, principals, and media to afford them a complete, better appreciation of the prowess and performance promised by the BMW SUV (or Sport Activity Vehicle a.k.a. SAV’s in BMW-speak) range. Of course, not all of us have these premium SUVs in our garages – let alone the inclination and willingness to put them through a gauntlet of challenges. I mean, they’re BMWs, for goodness sake.

But that’s exactly why they’re fit to frolic in the sandbox that is Bromo – these are dyed-in-the-wool SUVs from the Munich carmaker, not pretenders shaped to look like utes. Alternating as driver and front-seat passenger for the journey, we appreciate the virtues of the X models. Regardless of which model get we get into, it becomes immediately apparent that BMW succeeds in conveying its premium character across price points.

While driving on Indonesia’s road network is singularly satisfying, if a bit unnerving owing to the multitude of motorcycles, the agenda in our Southeast Asian neighbor is clear. Dubbed “BMW Destination X: Bromo Driving Experience,” this is all about seeing the aptitude of the X model range when faced unconventional challenges.

I suspect that hardly anyone wakes up and typically says, “I feel like getting behind the wheel of a couple of BMW SUVs today – in the sand, and in succession. But that is exactly the kind of unrealistic dream given fruition by the good folks at Bayerische Motoren Werke.

A makeshift track on the sand – marked out by nothing more white plastic poles and tire tracks – stretches out over small mounds and troughs. Queued up at the starting line are the X3, X4, X5, and X6. We are waved aboard in batches.

I first get on board the red X4 xDrive28i M Sport. Powered by a 2.0-liter BMW TwinPower Turbo, the four-cylinder Bimmer proves an excellent blend of ability and elegance. I coax it through the track – first at speed, then more deliberately as I rounded the deep furrows and abrupt turns of our sandy track. Even as its tires lose traction from my heavy foot on the gas, the X4 keeps its collar stiff and starched, still Consumer Reports is correct to say the X4 emphasizes “sport over utility.”

Up next is the X5, whose 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo sixer roars with approval despite the abuse. It proves most stable and composed among the SUVs – its 306 horses and 400Nm adequately powering its balanced frame. Cocooned within its interiors, you hardly feel the goings on outside. The heft doesn’t preclude an adroitness even on the fine sand of Bromo.

The X6, essentially a flashier version of the X5, is beastly number who appears ready to ingest everything in its path. Though bestowed with the same power plant as the X5, the X6 assumes a sportier character, which it displays in a greater knack for fishtailing fun while staying on terra firma. If I needed tokens for the ride, I would have bought an armful just to do it all over again.

The X3 attacks the sand as best it can, but underachieves in comparison to its larger siblings as far as excitement goes. To be fair, on pavement the X3 is a precise and composed ride. I was even surprised by its second-row space, and the level of its comfort over a long journey. Still, it slices through the sand as best it could, and it is not equipped with xDrive for nothing.

Aside from this exercise, we also experience an extreme “taxi ride” aboard an X5 with certified BMW driver trainer Gerry Nasution. He pushes the SUV through rougher sections of the 10,000-square-meter-playground reserved exclusively for us with the Sea of Sand. Through steep inclines (the Bimmers can handle up to 22 degrees of angle for both entry and exit) and uneven terrain, the X5 is a sure-footed customer – surely a source of both excitement and security.

BMW lines up more challenges – this time man-made. A balance bridge, angled climb, roller climb, angular climb (collectively called X ramps) more keenly demonstrate the xDrive ability to provide traction in extreme situations where traction is available to but three, two, or even one wheel. Even rapidly changing situations do not faze the xDrive, and one has but to mind the wheel in hand – hardly the ones touching (or not) the ground. Even the amount of torque available at relatively low rpm is very convenient – helping complete the compelling image of the BMW X models as a study in both ease of use and impressive talents.