A new BMW X4 is about to replace a four-year old predecessor. Are short life cycles the secret to quiet, steady progress? That could be why Subaru of America has climbed ten places in as many years and is closing on Hyundai. BMW may be experimenting with this idea, adding to its recent progress: last month, Mercedes-Benz USA was pushed aside. And here in Britain, BMW was the UK’s number two brand in June, outselling Ford.
Volkswagen ousted Ford of Britain in June as number one make, and BMW became number two, pushing Ford into third.
Volkswagen taking the number one position from Ford of Britain was no surprise: in June, Europe’s new German-made Focus wasn’t yet in series production. That’s about to commence at Saarlouis, with September to be the car’s first full month of availability in all UK nations.
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Premium as mainstream
Ford being pushed down to third shows three things: the dangers of risking long production runs (the outgoing Focus has been made at Saarlouis since December 2010), the appeal of VW models, and that once-premium makes are now mainstream ones in Britain. The third of the three points is demonstrated by BMW’s achievement of ousting Ford from second place after Volkswagen pushed it off its usual top spot.
The Golf, not a cheap car, continues its climb up the UK sales charts, taking second position behind the Fiesta in June. The little Ford is one of the few relatively inexpensive models in the top 10. After the Golf comes the Vauxhall Corsa, all Mini models grouped into ‘Mini’ by the SMMT’s number crunchers, then the VW Polo in fifth and Focus in sixth. After that, it gets especially interesting, as the soon to be replaced BMW 3 Series takes seventh, with the Qashqai, Tiguan and BMW 1 Series in eighth, ninth and tenth places. Who says the British now mainly prefer to trade in their cars for crossovers and SUVs? Nissan’s ongoing fall and VW’s rise are due mainly to the collapse of Juke sales (due to its age) and the decline of the Qashqai (-23% in June) plus a surge in Polo and Tiguan registrations for Volkswagen.
Where would BMW be without its SAVs?
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By GlobalDataAs the rise of the 2 Series in Germany shows, BMW has been very good at reinventing itself for an era when preferences change as buyers generally become more aged but also willing to try new styles of vehicle. Just imagine how poorly the brand would have fared had it not seen the decline of the 3 Series coming and the rise of MPVs.
The 2 Series has been BMW’s best seller at home for a while now, and in June, the 1 Series and X1 weren’t that far behind it.
The 2 Series has been BMW’s best seller at home for a while now, and in June, the 1 Series and X1 weren’t that far behind it, each accounting for around 4,000 deliveries. The 3er? It was down in 29th place with sales of 3,294, behind the 5 Series (3,605). Then came the X3 (1,886), 4 Series (1,240), X5 (1,021) and the newly released X2 (928), with the i3 (509), 7 Series (375), 6 Series (260), X6 (240), X4 (172) and i8 (49) making up the remainder of the brand’s deliveries. The last of these, while only in position 252, was at least well ahead of the likes of the Lexus GS (21), Opel Ampera-e (7) and Toyota Corolla (5).
Like the British, buyers in Europe’s number one market are still taking their time to fully embrace SUVs, while EVs seem to garner a lot of attention by the media but not (yet) too many sales. Germans bought fewer than 300 Teslas in June (282), placing the brand below even DS (398) or Lexus (298). Still, as can be seen by how the X1, X3, X5 and just-added X2 have been selling – the X4 has been on run-out – there is rising interest in all of the brand’s crossovers and SUVs, be they rear-AWD or front-AWD models.
Built in USA using 35up architecture
Into this European reality falls the new, second generation X4. BMW sees it as again being a rival for the Porsche Macan and that is a fair analysis. The public saw it for the first time at the Geneva show, and today marks the lifting of a UK market media embargo on driving impressions. Generation one was introduced in 2014 and that put it late in the production cycle of the model it was based upon, the F25 (2010-2017) X3.
Compared to F26, the original X4, G02 is 81mm longer and 37mm wider but slightly lower, while the wheelbase has gained 54mm.
It won’t have been cheap to bring forward the launch of G01 by some years but, as can be seen by those sales figures, BMW thinks the price was worth paying. Surging sales in China – a market where any maker not constantly launching new models is in trouble (sorry to pick on Ford again but look at this and the attached by-model chart) – also attest to that.
Longer. Wider. Lower.
Compared to F26, the original X4, G02 is 81mm longer and 37mm wider but slightly lower, while the wheelbase has gained 54mm. Weight distribution is claimed to be 50:50. It’s even better to drive than the old model, although me, I’m not convinced that the looks are an improvement compared to F26 and the soon to be facelifted Macan. Possibly that’s because I love the X3 with which it shares a platform, engines and many other major and minor components.
Love it or not, the X4’s design team put a lot of effort into this vehicle. There are many lovely details, including two pronounced ridges which run the length of what is quite a wide bonnet/hood. One is immediately in the driver’s line of sight and the other ahead of the passenger, successfully breaking up what might otherwise be a too-large expanse of metal.
Another detail is what could well be the widest A pillars I have noticed on a current production car. And the especially clever thing about the way the glass has been positioned and angled is that these don’t obstruct vision more than in rival SUVs, or, as BMW calls its taller models, Sport Activity Vehicles. You won’t get the X4 mixed up with the X3 either, as the duck tail rear looks quite different and the registration plate is below the tailgate rather than on it.
A great interior – except for those in the back
The dashboard is nearly identical to what you’ll find in the new X3, aside from some nice detailing here and there such as a silver lip with X4 pressed into it. This is sited above roll-top covers for the cupholders and these wells are deep and of a decent diameter.
BMW is now the only one one of the Big Three established German luxury car makers to be fitting its newest models with HVAC controls which are not operated by touchscreens. Some will prefer the alternatives in an Audi or a Mercedes but BMW is betting there are lots of people who don’t. As in the X3, the buttons for A/C and so on are finished in silver plastic.
For kids, the inadequate head space isn’t an issue, although the door openings are as tight as those in a five-door Mini.
The front two occupants do not want for room. Alas that’s not what I have to report for those in the back seats. Most of the press cars on the media drive event were fitted with a large, opening glass roof and the penalty is barely adequate head space for anyone of average height or above seated in the rear. At 178cm, my buzz cut was touching the headliner. Worse, you have to crane your neck to see out as the ceiling curves down and the glass area isn’t lavish. The eye closest to the door looks straight into a dark piece of soft material.
For kids, the inadequate head space isn’t an issue, although the door openings are as tight as those in a five-door Mini. Any buyer who finds the intimacy of the rear compartment along with brushing what can be a dirty metal arch an issue but wants to be a BMW driver should instead take a look at an X3 or an X5.
Standard: automatic transmission and all-wheel drive
BMW is launching the X4 in Britain with 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre engines, and prices of between GBP42,900 and GBP55,725. All variants wear xDrive badges, which indicates full time four-wheel drive. The architecture is RWD-4WD so the four- and six-cylinder in-line petrols and diesels are mounted north-south. ZF is the supplier of the eight-speed automatic transmissions which are standard.
The importer expects 85-90 per cent of UK sales to be of the mid-range M-Sport trim. That adds GBP 2,700 to the cost of the base Sport, while M-Sport X costs another GBP1,400 or a total of GBP4,100 over Sport. Going against what was once the case with UK market BMWs, even the least expensive X4s are well equipped.
With a model range that now stretches from the X1 to the X7 with no gaps (not the case with all rivals – there is still no Audi Q1, Q4 or Q6), BMW appears to have all bases covered. Well, maybe it does. The smallest of its SAVs is larger than the Audi Q2 and what happens when the brand from Ingolstadt adds a sub-4m Q1? BMW would counter than Mini is its brand for compact SAVS. Given the size of the Countryman I’m not so sure about that. Who knows, maybe any additional SAVs will be electrified and so take on fresh names.
A fully electric X3 is due out in 2020, so an iX4 is a theoretical possibility.
Electrification – will there be an iX4?
On the topic of plug-in BMW SAVs, there was no mention of such a variant for the X4. Nor was there mention of a new X4 M. That doesn’t mean either won’t happen; more that the company isn’t yet ready to talk about either.
A fully electric X3 is due out in 2020, so an iX4 is a theoretical possibility. In the meantime, the existing line-up of combustion-powered powertrains in the X4 are well up to BMW’s usual hard to fault standard.
The global range, which the M40i and xDrive 30d will join from August, comprises:
- 20i: 1,998cc four-cylinder petrol with twin-scroll turbocharger, 135kW/184hp and 290Nm
- 20d: 1,995cc four-cylinder diesel with variable geometry turbocharger, 140kW/190hp and 400Nm
- 25d: 1,995cc four-cylinder diesel with multi-stage turbochargers, 170kW/231hp and 500Nm
- 30i: 1,998cc four-cylinder petrol with twin-scroll turbocharger, 185kW/252hp and 350Nm
- 30d: 2,993cc in-line diesel straight six with variable geometry turbocharger, 195kW/265hp and 620Nm
- M40i: 2,998cc in-line petrol straight six with twin-scroll turbocharger, 260kW/354hp and 500Nm
Summary – does it beat the Macan?
The Macan is on balance probably still the class leader, and that is a remarkable achievement when you consider how much effort has clearly gone into making the new X4 such a brilliant vehicle to drive. The width is now identical to that of the Porsche, which has obviously been one of the Macan’s major hindrances for those with narrow garages but for whom dynamics matter more. If BMW could have its supplier redesign the front seats, making the backrests thinner and remove the hard surfaces which greet rear occupants’ knees, and lower the back seats too, then the X4 might even beat the Porsche for title of class best.
