This Is The More Advanced, Better-Handling BMW X4

The new BMW X4 is going Evoque-hunting. What the SUV-coupe (we really need a proper name for this type of car…) lacks in distinctiveness against the ageing Range Rover it aims to claw back – and more – with the most advanced technology BMW can throw at it.

There’s not much to say on the style front; with a design like this or the X2’s, you either like it or you don’t. The spec sheet makes interesting reading, though. Starting at the front, Bi-LED headlights are standard, giving extra brightness, lower power consumption and a more natural colour of light for less eye strain at night.

The massive kidney grille houses active air vents, which shut when they can for extra aerodynamic slipperiness and open again on demand for more cooling air flow.

Under the bonnet is a choice of three petrols and four diesels, all turbocharged, and none of them are exactly weak. The lowest output you can get is 181bhp. Topping the range, the six-pot X4 M40i and M40d are the performance highlights, riding on M-specific suspension. The petrol produces 355bhp and 369lb ft, while the diesel majors on torque: 502lb ft of it to bolster its 322bhp.

Above the bonnet, the windscreen is now a wind noise-cutting acoustic item as standard. Moving into the body there’s a weight cut of up to 50kg versus the old X4, depending on which model you pick. That weight is spread evenly over both axles, at a claimed 50:50 balance. BMW also says the centre of gravity is now lower, and handling is “noticeably superior.”

As for the wheels you can plump for basic 18s, which will probably look a little like they’ve been taken off a supermarket trolley, or you can suffer the ride quality compromises and inflate them as large as 21 inches across on the M40 models.

On the inside is BMW’s excellent iDrive and 10.25-inch widescreen media display, with a familiar menu layout and a totally intuitive interface based around a rotary dial on the lower centre console. It works: why change it? Optional extras (and there are many) include tri-zone climate control, a full-colour head-up display and something called a ‘light carpet.’

While UK specs and model line names are yet to be confirmed we expect the range to follow the same structure as at present: where SE leads into xLine and M Sport, with the M40i and M40d above that.