BMW launches the new X4. And, well, we’re not sure what it’s for…
[Not a valid template]Much like the new 4 Series Grand Coupe, this may take us a while to get our heads around. Above is the new BMW X4, which fits neatly between the already established X3 and X5. Incredibly neatly. In fact, we’re struggling to work out what the difference is.
So far the ‘sporting character and elegance’ of design is clear: it might be confusing us but the new X4 does look pretty good. Look deeper though and it gets a little confusing. As the ‘first Sports Activity Coupé for the premium mid-size segment’, the X4 is closer in DNA to the X6 than the X3, yet shares the latter’s platform. And at 1624mm wide and 4671mm long (14mm more so than the X3), the X4 is similar in stature to the company’s X5, albeit with a more aggressively sloping roofline. So again, we ask, what exactly is the new X4?
Is it perhaps a beast of dynamism ready to blaze a trail for sporty compact SUVs everywhere? Meh, sort of. The top of the range 3.0-litre six-cylinder xDrive35d (yep, they’re all diesel) kicks out 313hp and 465lb ft of torque. It’s an impressive bundle, able to push the newboy from 0-100kph in 5.2 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 250kph. Sprightly little minx, but unlikely to leave a burning trail of fire behind it. So, once again we ask, what exactly is the new X4? Or, more specifically, what is the point?
True, it’s a smaller, cheaper option for those who yearn for a sporty X6 in their life yet are unable to fork up the reddies. On the other hand, bearing in mind within the last year we’ve seen the BMW books stack up with the new 2 Series and 4 Series Coupé, is this just another way of plugging a gap that doesn’t exist? Think for a second about the X4’s key competition – namely the Audi Q3 or Q5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK or ML – then try not to immediately think of either the X3 or X5…
Sorry, BMW. I’m not sure I get it.
Source – BMW
