BAVARIAN FASHIONISTA
BMW’s lithe little sports crossover is an X1 in activewear
The modern-day SUV may be all the range, but the design is somewhat same-same. When utilitarian isn’t your thing, consider the BMW X2. Blazing a similar trail to what we’ve seen from the X4 and X6, the X2 is a blend of crossover, coupe and soft-roader.
It’s been specially designed for people who see its X1 as too plain and too big.
“When we started the car we had clearly the idea to focus on younger customers,” says X2 project leader Julius Schluppkotten.
He reckons such buyers rate exterior style and ease of slipping into city parking spots above interior space. “We wanted a concept which is cool.”
Underneath the lower, shorter and more athletic shape, the X2 is all X1. Engines, transmissions, brakes, suspension and steering are shared and both models have exactly the same distance between their front and rear wheels.
The first variant to arrive in Toowoomba will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbo. The front-drive X2 sDrive 20i seven-speed double-clutch automatic will start from $55,900 plus on-roads.
This wasn’t the version BMW presented at the X2’s recent international media intro in Portugal. Instead the Bavarians brought along the all-wheel drive xDrive 20d with 2.0-litre turbo diesel and eight-speed automatic.
The xDrive 20d will reach our shores shortly after the sDrive 20i. BMW Australia hasn’t announced a price but its all-wheel-drive hardware is likely to push it close to $60,000.
Later still BMW Australia plans to add a less expensive sDrive 18i to the X2 line-up. This front-drive version will have a turbo 1.5-litre three-cylinder working with the same seven-speed double-clutch auto as the sDrive 20i. Expect it to be priced a little below $50,000.
The X2 makes a good first impression. Especially wearing gold paint and with the M Sport X equipment package.
That M Sport X package is being introduced with the X2 and will be standard on the first-to-arrive petrol front-driver. It adds grey body sills and bumper inserts that are intended to make it look a little rally-ready, big 19-inch wheels and a richer interior fit-out.
The X2 may be 7cm lower than the X1 and 8cm shorter but it’s still roomy enough inside. There’s ample space up front in a pair of high, firm and shapely seats. The three-place rear seat is roomy enough for a pair of full-size adults to get comfortable. Aft is a 470L cargo compartment, 37L less than in X1.
The interior features the latest generation of BMW’s infotainment interface, known as iDrive 6. It’s user-friendly and the central screen is bright and crisply detailed.
Directly ahead of the driver, the instruments have a clean and uncluttered look. There’s no shortage of storage space but the X2 doesn’t feature as many 12V and USB charge points as some competitors.
BMW’s engineers made minor changes to the X1 suspension and steering for the X2. These, along with its naturally lower centre of gravity and shorter overhangs, make it quite agile for an SUV. It steers particularly well and handles bends with ease.
The slightly lower M Sport X pack includes even stiffer springs and shock absorbers even, which is great for cornering.
Performance from the diesel is strong enough to satisfy. BMW’s diesel fours are among the best in class and the engine is impressively quiet once the X2 is moving. The eight-speed auto shifts smoothly, too. BMW claims identical 0-100km/h times — a nippy 7.7 seconds — for the diesel AWD and petrol front-driver.
Project chief Schluppkotten thinks there’s nothing else quite like the X2 on the market.
Available from Toowoomba BMW Corner James St and Anzac Ave