I had a chance to have a go in BMW’s interpretation of a premium crossover recently, when I drove the brand’s X2 in sDrive20i sports-auto guise.
Familiarity
For those BMW purists out there, the likes of the X2 and the cars that it shares its UKL2 platform with, the X1 and Mini Countryman, are insults to the brand’s heritage, being based on a front-wheel drive architecture when the brand was built around rear-wheel drive dynamics.
The thing is though, the majority of people buying these cars don’t care very much for rear-wheel drive prowess, rather wanting something premium, aesthetically pleasing and practical instead, three boxes which the X2 most certainly ticks.
Crossover styling
There’s no denying that the X2 is a good looking vehicle. It takes what was a relatively bland X1 and transforms it into a lower, more sporty and indeed, more hatchback-like model in its appearance, making it a true crossover.
Up front, there’s the signature kidney grille, which seems to grow bigger and bigger with each passing generation, with the remainder of the front-end coming across as rather sporty due to the fact that the M Sport package is standard on local X2 models, while a more rugged M Sport X package adds grey bumper inlays and side skirts.
The side profile of the X2 is smooth, an aspect which its designers wanted to incorporate to better distinguish it from the other BMW X models, which I feel it most certainly does, especially with the BMW badge being neatly placed on the C-pillar that oddly pays homage to the 3.0 CSL and 2000 CS of yesteryear.
At the rear, the X2 really differentiates itself with large, oval-shaped taillamps, a contoured boot lid and chunky rear bumper which sports one exhaust exit on either side.
Driving X2
Hopping inside the X2, one thing becomes immediately apparent, and that’s its low driving position. It lacks the elevated position of most SUV-type vehicles, which from a dynamics perspective is a good thing, but if you’re after an SUV ride, it is perhaps better to look elsewhere.
Aside from the lower driving position, the X2 features a pretty standard modern BMW interior, which isn’t quite as impressive as the latest X3 in terms of outright design and material quality, but it is functional.
The latest iDrive system is something of a revelation in itself too, with ease of use, great resolution and a multitude of features being its strongest points despite the fact that its functionality is skewed towards those with Apple devices.
Out on the road, the powertrain impressed. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol motor is mated to a new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and is both efficient and has enough performance on offer for most driving scenarios. There’s 141kW/280Nm available along with three driving modes; Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport.
After spending a good 250km in Comfort mode, I noted that the fuel gauge hadn’t moved, prompting me to switch over to Eco Pro mode in an attempt to see if 1 000km was possible from a single tank. A week later, I was well over 700km in with range of over 300km remaining, meaning that the X2 was exceptionally light on fuel, all things considered.
That’s not to say that the X2 is perfect; I found its ride quality with the optional 20-inch wheels and low profile tyres to be quite harsh, while the price of my test unit, despite being listed as R652 477, was well over R700 000.
In terms of practicality, the X2 loses out to its X1 sibling thanks to its more styling roofline and sacrifices some rear headroom and boot space, but still sports 470-litres and 1 535-litres with the rear seats folded down.
Verdict
The X2 is certainly a valiant effort from BMW in response to the likes of the Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar E-Pace, and Volvo’s XC40. Even when compared spec-for-spec with an equivalent X1, it only comes out just shy of R20 000 more.
If you’re in the market for a vehicle of this type, the X2 should definitely be on your list, if not, a similarly sized ‘regular’ SUV such as the Volkswagen Tiguan can be had for less money.
