So this is a bit of a paradox, actually: the X2 is an SUV for people who like driving, but people who like driving would be better off with a 3 Series. A 3 Series saloon or Touring drives a lot better. But be very careful: it drives very well for an SUV. Because I drive every new BMW that comes out, and because I know what this engine and gearbox are capable of, it is easier to distinguish the nuances of any given chassis onto which they are put. I borrowed a X2 xDrive 20d with the M-Sport Pack, which sits at the top of the range. It’s more eager, it’s more dynamic, it’s, well, better. Being a more driver’s oriented model, the X2’s set up is different from the X1 and you can feel it. In fact, for the four days I drove one around I was looking at it, searching for the design as a whole, as I constantly found new details, new ideas. Its design is not plain, which means it takes a while to soak it all in. It is for those who really don’t want a 3 series Touring because they were caught in the SUV band wagon. The X1 is quite generic and, dare I say, a bit bland. Well, first of all, there’s the way it looks. In fact, if you take into account that this is an X1 in a different suit, where are the extra €1500 you have to pay for 2 – model for model? One pattern begins to appear: the X2 is not a cheap car. Spec for spec, the 18d is at least €6.000 cheaper than the 20d, and its entry point sits at €45.500, whereas to take a 20d home you must part with at least €54.850. They both share the same two litre diesel block, but the 18d produces 150 horse power, while the electronics on the 20d are tweaked to give an extra 40 horse power. Curious is the fact that, if you opt to include the four-wheel drive system in the 18d, you cannot have the automatic transmission. Whereas the 18d can be had in front and all-wheel drive, with a manual or eight-speed auto transmission, the 20d is all-wheel drive, auto ‘box only. That means that, for now at least, the 18d and the 20d diesels will be the best sellers. In concept, though, the X2 is closer to the X4, because it is the coupe-ish version of the X1, just as the X4 is the same thing for the X3 (and the X6 for the X5 for that matter).īeing based on the X1, the X2 is built on a front-wheel drive chassis and uses the same powertrains as its cousin. The X2 is the latest addition to BMW’s ever growing SUV range and, just as the number 2 reveals, it sits above the X1 and below the X3. Thankfully, the new BMW X2 is better than most SUVs I have driven. So what do I get to drive the week after I wrote that? An SUV, but of course. Two weeks ago I put down SUVs and the way they are shaping the auto industry for the worse. At least it looks and drives rather well. Yet another BMW SUV is here to drag customers away from saloons and hatchbacks.
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