More details on the BMW X6 and 7-Series Hybrids

The BMW X6 Hybrid will be arriving later this year followed by the 7-Series Hybrid in early 2010. But before you get your hopes up to purchase a hybrid from the Munich and hold off on buying another competitor hybrid, let’s take a look at what you should expect.

According to KickingTires, who spoke with BMW’s VP of engineering Tom Baloga, the BMW X6 Hybrid will be a “full” hybrid. The two-mode hybrid technology will come from a partnership with Chrysler, Daimler and General Motors and will be mated to the X6 xDrive50i’s 4.4L turbocharged V8. It will offer a 20 percent better gas mileage which should work out to a combined fuel-economy of 18 mpg (as compared to the 15 mpg of the gas model).

The BMW 7-Series Hybrid will be a “mild” hybrid meaning it won’t run on electric power alone nor will it have fuel-saving technologies like a start/stop system. It will get a transmission-mounted electric motor that adds 20-hp to the 750i’s 4.4L turbocharged V8. A lithium-ion battery will sit in the trunk instead of a spare tire. Baloga did not say how much more efficient the 7-Series Hybrid will be when compared to its gasoline sibling, but previous reports say that fuel-emissions will be reduced by 15 percent.

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