BMW X2 2018 Review

In many ways, the BMW X2 is the right car for the right time.

If the original X6 coupe-SUV launched by BMW in 2006 was a sportier, more 'stylish' offshoot to the X5, and the X4 a smaller extension of that principle based on the popular X3, there are no surprises in guessing the premise for BMW's sixth high-riding model in 19 years - based this time on the X1. However, timing is everything.

Initially, the X6 and X4 were lambasted as the answer to a question nobody asked, though you can hardly lump the X2 with the same conceptual flaw.

Compact, sporty SUVs are all the rage in Australia at present (particularly premium European offerings), and the X2 continues BMW's model proliferation under an arguably smarter and more universally accepting styling language than those before it.

Physically, this is the smallest member of the X family yet. The X2 rides on the same front-drive UKL architecture that underpins the X1 along with the entire MINI family.

It measures 79mm shorter, 3mm wider and 72mm lower than the donor car - at 4360mm long, 1824mm wide and 1526mm high - even though it retains the same 2670mm wheelbase.

The X2 brings styling changes including a sportier interpretation of the marque's kidney grille, a return to the C-pillar BMW badge familiar with the legendary E9 coupe from the late 1960s, and an athletic profile completed by large 90mm dual exhaust outlets and L-shaped LED tail-lights.

The X2 will arrive in Aussie showrooms in petrol, front-drive form from March priced from $55,900 plus on-road costs.

That's a massive $10,000 premium on the entry price of X1 sDrive20i, a factor that will be curtailed by the introduction of a larger family of X2 variants mid-year, including diesels and an entry-petrol grade that will target a cheaper $50,000 starting price.

In the skin - and speaking subjectively on the matter -- this is one of the more convincing design efforts to emerge from Munich in recent times. The X2 cut a sharp figure on the roads around Portugal during its international launch.

What's inside?
It is only natural to approach the X2's cabin dimensions with a healthy degree of scepticism, and one initially wonders whether BMW has taken too big a bite shrinking its exterior proportions in the name of style.

Those concerns are quickly allayed you sit inside the cabin, which offers adequate leg room in the first and second rows - enough to seat four adults in relative comfort.

Rear head room might be a consideration for taller occupants, though without the heavily raked profile occupied by the X4 and X6, the X2 is considerably user-friendly for a 'sporty' spin-off. Especially a compact one at that.

Even the boot maintains practical edge (relatively speaking) by losing only 35 litres in volume compared with the X1, at 470 litres. Split-folding rear seats complement this trait, along with a standard electric tailgate.

Where the X2 stands to lose some appeal is in its child carrying capacity. The car's high belt line and low-set seating position mean that outward vision is heavily restricted from the bleachers, to the point where most children will be looking at more door card than window.

The fitment of two ISOFIX tether points, rear air-vents and a mix of useable storage options, including bottle friendly door pockets, goes some way in making up for the obscured rear outlook.

Up front, the X2 plays on its sporty design premise through a driver-centric cockpit, one where the seats are positioned lower and the key controls are angled towards the driver.

Naturally, the outlook front and rear isn't as airy or practical as the X1, though you could argue not as compromised as earlier BMW coupe-style high-riders.

The cloth, faux-suede lined seats fitted to our vehicle are comfortable and ideally bolstered for a mix of duties, working together with premium cabin finishes and stitching to create a strong impression.

Interior lighting lifts the ambience on board while BMW's latest infotainment system, iDrive6, which comprises a 6.5-inch centre screen, is matched by a 5.7-inch digital display in the driver's instrument cluster, easily accesses the X2's on-board sat-nav and infotainment.

But a memo for BMW Australia: please break with tradition and offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. That consumers currently have to pay almost $500 for a software feature fitted standard to some $15,000 city cars is greedy…

Substance over style
The real distinguishing trait of the X2 comes in the form of driving character.

According to BMW engineers, the car's torsional stiffness increases 10 per cent over the X1, the front-end geometry is more aggressive courtesy of added camber, while the lower ride height endows the car with greater body control than the donor model.

Those figures are certainly conveyed via the X2's driving demeanour during its launch in Portugal.

On the twisty backroads outside of Lisbon, or on the stunning network of bitumen hugging the Atlantic Ocean, the X2 offers a level of cornering finesse, composure and fun factor not readily apparent on the X1.

In spite of its high-riding stature and 1675kg kerb weight, the X2 holds a tight line through corners, enamours the driver with steering that is full of feel and feedback, and shakes off mid-corner bumps all at once.

Noted, its small stature isn't infallible on the open road, specifically when tackling larger, elongated road imperfections which tend to bobble occupants where a larger vehicle wouldn't.

But there is an element of both playfulness and surefootedness in the X2's chassis, assisted at the ground by quality Pirelli P Zero rubber measuring 18-inches at all four corners.

The real downside of the vehicle's sporting persuasion? The ride is firmer than some may like, conveying road imperfections more readily through the cabin than the X1, though critically, without being crashy or jittery.

Ultimately, the real verdict on ride comfort will come when we assess the X2 on Australia's less-than-perfect road network. Until then, it's something the keep in mind.

Elsewhere, the X2 upholds all the refinement features commensurate with most modern BMWs. Road noise and wind noise are suppressed to minimal levels, while the cabin is devoid of squeaks and rattles.

Small capacity, big returns
Diesel drivetrains might be on the nose globally, but there is a lot to like about the 2.0-litre four-cylinder fitted to the X2 xDrive20d driven here.

After an initial bit of turbo lag, there's a bucket load of torque from the diesel, offered customarily in gravelly, oil-burning sound grabs.

Once into middling revs, the 140kW/400Nm unit is incredibly responsive and linear, working in unison with the sweet-shifting and intuitive eight-speed automatic. Think a 0-100km claim of 7.7 seconds.

Real-world fuel use is a redeeming feature, the 20d using close to its claimed 4.8L/100km combined (European cycle) through our mix of roads.

The diesel is one of several drivetrains mooted for Australia before year's end. We cannot yet report on the front-drive petrol sDrive20i that will initially anchor the line-up, though its 141kW/280Nm outputs and claimed 6.1L/100km fuel readout show plenty of promise.

A stretch too far?
Ultimately, the X2 doesn't re-write BMW's SUV formula and nor does it claim to.

Being the sixth spin-off of the Bavarian marque's X family, there is a level of predictability around its sporting demeanour - and in the skin it does as advertised. That its purposeful bent doesn't impose as much restriction on everyday practicality is a bonus.

Rather, where the X2 really stands to win buyers is in its universally-accepting style. The precedent might have already been set by BMW, but on this third occasion, the execution finally feels right.

2018 BMW X2 sDrive20i and xDrive20d pricing and specifications:
On sale: March
Price: From $55,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel
Output: 141kW/280Nm and 140kW/400Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch and eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.1L/100km and 4.8L/100km (NEDC)
CO2: TBC
Safety rating: Five-star Euro NCAP

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