We all thought it was the car nobody
needed, the answer to a question that hadn’t been asked. And yet the BMW X6
coupe Sports Activity Vehicles (SAV) has been phenomenally successful since its
arrival.
Ever since the Spartanburg, NC-built X5 was
launched in 1999, the big SAVs have been a huge hit in showrooms worldwide. So
in order to capitalize on its popularity, the X5 was followed by the smaller
X3, then the oddball X6, before the baby X1 arrived on our shores last year.
And with a certain inevitability, once the
4 Series range of cars was announced, an X4 has followed close behind, offering
a mini-X6 for people who admire but can’t afford the full-size truck.
The
X4 follows the template of the bigger X6, not only in its coupé-inspired
styling but also in the more sporting tune of its chassis
The X4 is supposedly a more stylish,
sportier version of the X3, upon which it’s heavily based. It’s a little
longer, quite a bit lower, and possesses a sweeping roofline that, as with the
X6, should remind you more of a coupé and less of an all-terrain workhorse.
Whether you like the X4 styling is down to
personal taste, but it’s one of those contentious designs that looks far better
in the metal than in photographs. And with more than 250,000 buyers putting
cash down for an X6, we suspect the X4 will be equally popular.
From a stylistic standpoint, the X4 M Sport
we tested wasn’t perhaps the best example of the new car. The problem is that
all the aggressive styling elements that differentiate the front end from the
X3 are color-matched. So we preferred the lesser models, with the front end in
either silver or black, depending on the model, to better define the X4’s face.
You
sit 20mm lower than in the X3 and this gives a more satisfying driving
position; some plastics look sub-3-series grade, though
You’ll pay significantly more for the
less-capacious X4 than the X3. The X4 xDrive28i (2.0T) is $4,300 more than the
equivalent X3, while the larger xDrive35i commands a $2,900 premium thanks to
an extra standard kit offsetting the price hike.
With a starting sticker of $45,625 for the
2.0L, it might be pricey in some people’s eyes, although premium-branded
products always tend to sell well. It puts the X4 right in Range Rover Evoque
territory, for example, which sells from $42,025.
You do, at least, get some extra toys over
the X3 to mitigate the cost, if the styling and driving dynamics aren’t enough.
BMW will throw in an automatic opening tailgate—which can be further optioned
up with the Smart Opener, allowing you to pop the trunk with your foot under
the car. It also gets a sports leather steering wheel with paddle shifters,
variable sports steering assistance, Performance Control, and rear Park
Distance Control.
Front
seat passengers have plenty of room, but taller passengers in the rear may
struggle for headroom
Compared to an X3, the front occupants sit
roughly 0.8 inch lower, with the rear bench dropped 1.1 inches to offset the
1.4-inch-lower roofline of the X4. This has a twofold return, not just in
trying to preserve headroom but also in making the center of gravity lower for
a sporty drive.
BMW hasn’t done a bad job, as the coupe
doesn’t feel cramped. The cargo area remains usable, with a fat floor, 17.7
cubic feet of load space with the 40:20:40 split rear seats up, or a generous
49.4 cubic feet with them down. Naturally, the X3 beats it for loading
capacity.
BMW showcased its new generation of
switchgear, which we can expect to see across all other product offerings soon.
There are fresh graphics alongside revised controls for the climate system, and
it all feels suitably premium.
A
40-20-40 split rear bench helps to increase boot space to around 500 litres
Trying to offer sharper handling than the
X3 could be viewed as an exercise in futility, because the midsized SAV is
already one of the finest driving vehicles in its class. However, BMW has
managed to pull it off, with the X4 getting its own spring, damper, and
antiroll bar rates, plus a unique steering rack to polish the X3 chassis
further. The outcome is an SAV that just grips and grips, and then grips some
more.
The X4 doesn’t have the torque-vectoring
rear diff of the X6, but it remains phenomenally agile for something this
weighty and tall. The speed it carries on a twisty road is further aided by
this wonderful drivetrain; the eight-speed ’box blips the revs on downshifts
and offers whip-crack ratio swaps at all times. The mighty straight-six turbo
endows it with plenty of straight-line pace, and the brakes are mighty capable,
which allows you to hustle with ease.
Despite
its size, the X4 corners with the agility of a smaller car
Sadly, the X4 isn’t perfect. In the more
sporting modes offered via the Performance Control switch, the ride can be
harsh—a consequence of the taut body control. But, more importantly, the
chassis is inert, offering little involvement beyond that monster traction and
hampered by lifeless steering. So while you can cover ground at an indecent
rate, it’s unlikely you’d take the X4 out for the hell of it.
Logically, the X4 was inevitable once the
X6 proved its fiscal worth. And the execution is, as you’d expect, almost
faultless. The X4 sits in a unique position—it offers something different to
potential X3 buyers who don’t need to move tons of gear around. Yet you can’t
ignore the substantial price premium over its sibling, the presence of the
excellent 3 Series Touring (also available in xDrive), as well as the healthy
competition from the capable Evoque.
