The previous BMW X2 was a chunky, chopped, and not all that charming X1 derivative that fell from grace after only five years of production due to underwhelming sales. After a 16-month pause, the second-generation model is now about to arrive in dealer showrooms. While the rest of the world can choose between the 300-plus-hp all-electric iX2 xDrive30 and several combustion-engine models including a couple of diesels, North America gets only the 241-hp xDrive28i and the 312-hp M35i xDrive featured here. At $52,395, the X2 M35i “Sports Activity Coupe” is merely $1500 more expensive than the mechanically identical but more conservatively styled and now slightly smaller X1 counterpart. (The X2 xDrive28i at $42,995 is similarly $1500 more than the base X1.)
In recent years, BMW design has gifted us with a wide scope of shapes ranging from traumatic (rodent-fangs grille) and controversial (the XM) to spot-on (the M8 Gran Coupe) and cool (the i5 Touring). The X2 is not something to inspire hate mail and chatroom meltdowns, but the large hexagonal grille (optionally lit at night), the anonymous could-be-anything head- and taillights, and the silly instrument graphics may not be to everyone’s liking. Proportionally, though, the new crossover coupe is spot-on thanks to the generous 106.0-inch wheelbase; the wide track further enhanced by available 21-inch wheels; the more steeply raked windshield; and the low, sloping roofline. The latter, however, creates major blind spots where it fuses with the wide C-pillars and the tall, stubby tail. The M in the model designation denotes the standard sports pack, which includes a lowered suspension, plenty of blacked-out plastic body panels, prominent air deflectors front and rear, and special 20-inch wheels and tires. Tick all the boxes, and a fully loaded X2 comes in at just over $60,000.
An Ultra-Techy Interior
Inside, the X2 has the current BMW diorama dashboard featuring a large curved digital instrument panel display and center touchscreen. A head-up display costs extra. The intuitive iDrive controller is no more, however. In its place on the center console we now find the gear selector, the cylindrical volume control, and the My Modes button. The what? As a play to younger buyers and their software-defined lifestyles, BMW replaced the Driving Experience switch with a broader choice of driving modes. While Efficient and Sport are self-explanatory, Expressive, Relax, and Digital Art (the latter three available with a Digital Premium subscription) come across more like marketing-driven gadgets than functional assets. Entertainment is an ever-present option in this car, with 5G connectivity, video streaming, and gaming (when stationary) among the offerings. There’s even an overhead in-car camera that can take still pictures or record video—even while driving—to help keep your social-media channels populated with fresh content.
In this multimedia, multi-screen, multi-mode environment, driving can become a second priority. But fear not—there are a bunch of active driver-assistance systems that do a fine job compensating for any distraction their semiconductor allies may have caused. Accessing the latest in-dash wizardries no longer requires deep dives into the main menu or its submenus. Another new available trick is Augmented View, which adds graphic 3-D imaging, video navigation aids, and enhanced head-up display content.
The optional Parking Assistant Plus includes additional functionality, such as Remote 3D View, which can send live images of the parked car and its surroundings to the driver’s smartphone. If the anti-theft system is triggered, it can send a notification to the owner’s smartphone and begin recording video. A Crash Recorder feature stores 60 seconds of video in the event of an impact.
Driving the X2 M35i
For all the effort expended elsewhere, the X2 M35i xDrive turns into a proper M Performance automobile as soon as the human driver hits the start button, slides the transmission toggle into Drive, engages Sport and puts the stability control system in the most dynamic mode.
The X2 M35i uses the same turbocharged 2.0-liter engine as the X1 M35i, producing 312 horsepower along with 295 pound-feet of torque. Redlined at 6800 rpm, the nonhybridized four-cylinder drives, when needed, all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Put the foot down hard on a stretch of dry tarmac, and the nearly two-ton five-seater will first squeal, then storm to 60 mph in a BMW-estimated 5.2 seconds. Considering the last generation that we tested did the deed in 4.5 seconds, we think BMW’s claim is ultra-conservative. That’s not super-quick compared to the instant-torque electric-SUV armada, but unlike its plug-in rivals, the BMW presses on with verve and vigor until it reaches a top speed of 155 mph. The X2 M35i’s acceptable EPA combined rating of 26 mpg makes the most of the smallish 14.3-gallon fuel tank.
Although the M35i is equipped with firmer springs, a quicker steering ratio, beefed-up brakes, and a more vocal dual-outlet exhaust than the base car—as well as adaptive dampers—we wish it had pronounced rear-bias torque vectoring and an oversteer-on-demand differential. At heart a front-driver with a transversely mounted engine but now equipped with a hang-on all-wheel-drive unit, the X2 is dynamically not quite in the same league as the 3-series or the X3, which were born with an inline-six in their cradle. About on par with the X1 M35i in terms of steering precision, turn-in behavior, and stability, the X2 also prioritizes strong grip and premium creature comforts over ultra-sharp handling and exceptional performance. Extra dough buys more aggressive M compound brake pads and even stickier tires, but in 99 out of 100 driving situations, the standard stopping apparatus and the less extreme footwear are just fine, thank you very much.
If you’re shopping subcompact luxury SUVs, and you like the style of the new X2, the more mundane X1 SUV probably won’t even enter the equation. After all, the X2 is not only a more expressive piece of kit, it also offers more metal and more cabin and trunk space for only a little more money.
Specifications
Specifications
2024 BMW X2 M35i
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: $52,395
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve Miller-cycle inline-4, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 122 in3, 1998 cm3
Power: 312 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 295 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 106.0 in
Length: 179.3 in
Width: 72.6 in
Height: 62.6 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 51–52/43 ft3
CargoVolume, Behind F/R: 52/25 ft3
Curb Weight (C/Dest): 3900 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.4 sec
100 mph: 11.7 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.1 sec
Top Speed: 130–155 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 26/23/32 mpg
Although I was born the only son of an ornithologist and a postal clerk, it was clear from the beginning that birdwatching and stamp collecting were not my thing. Had I known that God wanted me to grow to 6’8″, I also would have ruled out anything to do with cars, which are to blame for a couple of slipped discs, a torn ligament, and that stupid stooped posture behind the wheel. While working as a keeper in the Aberdeen Zoo, smuggling cheap cigarettes from Yugoslavia to Germany, and an embarrassing interlude with an amateur drama group also failed to yield fulfillment, driving and writing about cars became a much better option. And it still is now, many years later, as I approach my 70th birthday. I love every aspect of my job except long-haul travel on lousy airlines, and I hope it shows.