BMW X 2 is a sporty looker
Don’t treat the new X2 has a gentle spin-off from the X1, it’s a far more satisfying Bimmer to have
When it comes to modernday SUVs with a bias towards on-road driving, BMW has the most to offer in Thailand with anything ranging from the X1 up to the X6.
And the number is set to rise to seven within a year after the Munich-based luxury carmaker finally unleashes the production-ready X7 range-topper.
This will surely put the blue and white propeller badge into full gear to satisfy a market that, like many other places around the world, has a growing fetish for grit-capable vehicles that are rarely, if ever, used off the sealed tarmac.
Take your pick then depending on your financial budget. But, as you well know, BMW’s game with the SUV (SAV in Munich speak, meaning sport activity vehicle) is not just about size but also emotion.
That’s why they build sporty derivatives with even-numbered badges off traditional, odd-numbered ones. And the most recent model to join BMW’s SUV armada earlier this year is the X2, which is attempting to be what the X4 and X6 are to their X3 and X5 relatives.
However, it appears BMW has done a decent job in giving the X2 more distinction over the X1 than is the case with its two bigger brothers. Take the design, for a start. The X2 not only sports a more raked roofline but also a far brawnier shape, which makes it feel more like a pumped-up hatchback rather than a lowered SUV. The introduction of the brand’s new M Sport X trim, which includes bespoke coloured exterior bits, also helps play to that effect.
Of all the people we talked to, not one disliked its appearance.
Naturally, it’s when you jump into the X2’s cabin that familiarity with the X1 emerges ranging from chairs, door panels and overall fascia design. Thankfully, the sporty trim the Thai BMW office has chosen for the X2 goes well with the vehicle’s concept and helps lift its appeal over not just the X1 but against the Mercedes-Benz GLA as well.
And just because the X2 has a racy exterior appearance doesn’t mean that cabin space and functionality are hopeless. In fact, the interior does a great job in belying the compact looks by offering adequate head and leg room for full-sized adults.
The X2’s boot is also well-shaped and can be increased by folding down the rear backrests in three parts. Oddment space around the five-seat cabin is equally generous.
Since the marketing boffins at BMW need to price-position the X2 between the X1 and X3, the company has chosen a fourcylinder petrol and front-wheel-drive-only drivetrain called sDrive 20i to help yield that price of just under 3 million baht.
The 192hp 2.0-litre petrol-turbo, also used in Mini’s Cooper S cars, provides ample levels of all-round performance for the X2, which also happens to be the first mainstream BMW to get a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Although the Cooper S Countryman shares the same platform and engine with this particular X2, it still employs an eight-speed torque-convertor auto despite the Hatch and Convertible having just shifted to the twin-clutch unit recently.
With such a gearbox, the X2 shifts cogs quite quickly. However, kickdown of the transmission sometimes lack urgency under enthusiastic driving even when the Sport mode is engaged.
The X2 becomes the third BMW in Thailand after the 2 Series Active/Gran Tourer and X1 to go front-wheel drive. And you can certainly feel it in the X2, whereby occasional torque steer takes place under hard acceleration from low speeds.
But the lack of rear, or even four, driven wheels hasn’t really harmed the X2’s driving characteristics at high speeds. The chassis feels well-planted to the road. And that’s without the Sport suspension, which we found overly firm when we first drove the X2 in Europe earlier this year.
The regular set-up feels just about right for road conditions in Thailand by yielding a cushy primary ride. But while those 19-inch wheels and low-profiled tyres help the X2 on the catwalk, they can be felt and heard over secondary roads and surface irregularities. At least, it isn’t irritable making ride comfort generally OK.
What’s clear, though, in the X2 is its superiority over the X1 when it comes to entire driving experience, not to mention the visual and emotional appeal it boasts.
But as a 3 million baht import, and its circa-700k price premium over the X1, the X2 lacks some features some potential buyers might come to expect. There’s a sunroof and rear parking camera, plus many things are electrically operated like the front seats, boot lid and parking brake. But there’s no hold function for the brakes at standstill or paddle-shifters for the gearbox on the sporty steering wheel, and the aircon controls are a DIY thing.
Overall, though, the X2 still feels special and fresh amid nearby rivals that are either more expensive or dated. Actually, the X2 somehow strikes a better balance between form and function than the similarly priced Countryman sibling.
In short, the X2’s good fun and highly usable at the same time.
THE REGULAR SUSPENSION SET-UP FEELS JUST ABOUT RIGHT FOR ROAD CONDITIONS IN THAILAND