New star of winning team
Few if any people will buy the new BMW X4 just for its appearance. From some angles, it looks smooth, svelte and sporty. From others, particularly from the B pillar to the rear, it's just... different.
Not wanting to be crudely labelled an SUV with the rest of the peasants, BMW coined the distinctly un-English "unconform" to describe the design priority, "sports activity vehicle" to describe its X3 and X5 wagons, and "sports activity coupe" for the X6 and the new X4.
Although the all-wheel drive BMWs aren't off-roaders by any stretch, they have already established their credentials as road masters, selling 3.2 million units worldwide. The X6 coupe was announced to some puzzlement back in 2008 but, despite a fair bit of negativity from the media, it's sold 250,000 into a market that didn't exist when it was released.
In Australia last year, 42 per cent of BMW sales were X-Series, so the new X4 will no doubt be looked at closely by a lot of people walking in to BMW showrooms.
The X4 replaces the back end of the X3 wagon with a coupe roofline and an electric tailgate/ boot lid. It's the same wheelbase but is 15mm longer and said roofline is 36mm lower. The bonnet and front doors are the only panels shared with the X3.
All X4s coming here will have the X-line equipment package, which includes performance control software, variable sports steering, 19-inch Y-spoke wheels, xenon headlights, LED foglights, leather upholstery, lumber support, navigation pro and sports seats. The package adds $9000 to the price of an X3.
The eight-speed Steptronic automatic gearbox is the only transmission you can buy.
There are two 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines: a 135kW petrol and a 140kW diesel, neither of which we got to drive on the release day. The 3.0-litre petrol and diesel six-cylinder versions develop 225kW and 190kW respectively but the diesel wins the grunt stakes with a thumping 560Nm of torque.
All the engines have BMW's twin-turbo technology.
On the road, the diesel handled B and C-class roads inland from Byron Bay with the greatest of ease. Both cars felt like a sports sedan at first blush but the extra height makes its presence known on the really twisty bits.
Despite the sloping roofline, the lowered rear seats meant plenty of headroom and a 40-40-20 split on the rear squab means storage space ranges from 500 to 1400 litres. The leather seats are exceptionally comfortable and hold both driver and passenger firm no matter what the road conditions or driving style.
The M-sport package is standard on the X35i and brings massive air intakes below the bumper and bigger wheels. A sports steering wheel with paddle shifts is also standard, as is a crystal-clear 8.8-inch data screen - all the great parts of the X3 interior have made it across.
The eight-speed Steptronic gearbox is tweaked in the X34i to deliver faster changes and includes, probably needlessly, a launch-control feature. But it all combines to send the X35i from 0-100km/h in just 5.5 seconds.
The diesel is only a whisker behind at 5.8 seconds.
Walking away I couldn't decide whether the X4 was a coupe that has outgrown its clothes or an X3 downsized at the back. Ultimately, owners will decide and if the X6 is any guide, the X4 will quickly become a new star in BMW's team of winners.
BMW X4
Models: Petrol - 20i & 35i; Diesel 20d and 30d
Prices: 20i - $69,430, 35i - $87,430; 20d - $73,400,
30d - $83,900
Engines: 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo petrol and diesel; 3.0-litre six-cylinder twin-turbo petrol and diesel
Outputs: Petrol - 135kW/270Nm and 225kW/400Nm; Diesel - 140kW/400Nm and 190kW/560Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Thirst: Petrol - 7.2L/100km and 8.3L/100km; Diesel - 5.2L/100km and 5.9L/100km
