The role of the X2 has changed significantly, yet so has its local price premium over its X1 sibling. Is there enough substance to justify this?
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BMW X2 sDrive18i M Sport Fast Facts
- Price: R878 804
- 0-100 km/h: 9.28 seconds
- Top speed: 213 km/h
- Power: 115 kW
- Torque: 230 N.m
- CAR Fuel index: 8.04 L/100km
- CO₂: 153 g/km
Destined for approval and “where did the time go?” commentary by distant aunts and high-school BFFs relocated to continents greener, the updated BMW X family photograph uploaded to social media looks quite different from a few years ago. Scattered with new marquee models and alternative forms of propulsion, the significant news in the foreground of this image is an altogether grown-up and more sophisticated modern X1 that continues to impress with its considered packaging and build quality. Like the X3, BMW’s masterstroke in terms of single-use platform and production methods is the ability to offer these cars fitted with different powertrain options to suit varying global market requirements.
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Introduced in 2018, the role of the original X2 was to offer an urban-bound, boutique crossover alternative to the then-second-generation X1. The all-new car’s mandate has changed significantly. Built on the same platform and production line as the current X1, the X2 is now tasked with substituting for its larger X4 sibling while the latter takes a gap year – destined to return alongside a heavily updated X3 in 2028.
To facilitate this, the second-generation X2 has grown significantly compared with its predecessor. While its wheelbase length is about the only exterior measurement still shared with the X1, a 194 mm gain in overall length over the first car sees its sloped “coupé-style” tailgate stretch 54 mm beyond the profile of its SUV sibling. The new car is also 64 mm taller (1 590 mm) and 21 mm wider at its wheel arches than the first X2.
Although not quite as generous in terms of accommodation as the outgoing X4, the result of these revised exterior dimensions nonetheless frees up more rear passenger legroom and a claimed 90 litres of additional luggage space over the previous X2 – and 20 litres more than the current X1.
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Including a floating centre console with an optional mobile phone cradle, crisp curved infotainment setup and cleverly designed seating all around, the X2’s interior is all the better for mimicking that of its SUV sibling. A must-have in terms of options, the Equipment package (R27 000) adds the wireless mobile phone charging station, keyless entry, folding side mirrors and adaptive LED headlamps.
Seeking to further differentiate the two siblings within the family photo, the modern X2 is only available in South Africa in front-wheel drive sDrive18i with a standard M Sport exterior kit and the flagship M35i with all-wheel drive. No turbodiesel and no all-electric iX2, for now. The former (as tested here) is fitted with 19-inch rims, with the 20-inch items on our test unit available at a R15 000 premium. A tailgate-mounted wing, bespoke bumper designs, front and rear, and a rear diffuser flatter the performance credentials of the entry-level derivative.
The brand’s impressively refined 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbopetrol engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission deliver adequate performance for this segment (0-100 km/h in 9.28 seconds) with noteworthy efficiency. Heavier by 79 kilograms than its X1, the still impressive consumption figure of 7.8 L/100 km for the X2 on our mixed-use fuel route test was also slightly higher in the larger package.
While the positive driving position in the X2 mimics that of its X1 sibling, it’s impossible given the shape of the newer car’s roofline for rearward visibility not to be affected. On this note, it’s disappointing that BMW has deleted the rear window wiper system from the X2’s packaging.
Engineered to be the sportier sibling, the entry-level X2 feels altogether sharper on the road compared with its X1 counterpart. The trade-off, however, as highlighted by the optional 20-inch alloys fitted to our test unit, is a noticeably firmer default ride quality that could prove tiresome – and susceptible to road imperfections – in everyday use.
Despite misgivings from the media, niche products like BMW’s X4 and X6 continue to sell in impressive numbers globally. This is despite their published practical shortcomings compared with their respective SUV donor cars. The advantage this Munich-based manufacturer has over its rivals is that via shared componentry, platforms and production lines, it continues to be able to shape the playing field to its will. The otherwise excellent X1’s underpinnings, for example, are also available as a more dynamically inclined new X2 or a characterful new Mini Countryman – the choice is yours.
The caveat to this selection process is that the entry-level X2 with its standard M Sport exterior styling costs R50 000 more in our market without any options than the X1 with the same powertrain and similarly upgraded exterior. While, unlike with the previous generation car, the compromises in terms of packaging and usable space between these two siblings aren’t as pronounced as before, the consumer journalist in us would lean towards the X1 in this case – and fitted with the more efficient turbodiesel powerplant.
Find the full feature in the August issue of CAR Magazine.
