Style: August 03, 2018

104 STYLE | motoring
Xciting X2
Motoring writer Ross Kiddie checks out one of the
smaller offerings from the BMW giant.
SPECS
PRICE – BMW X2 sDrive20i,
$85,740
DIMENSIONS – Length, 4360mm;
width, 1824mm; height, 1526mm
CONFIGURATION – Fourcylinder,
front-wheel-drive, 1998cc,
141kW, 260Nm, seven-speed
automatic.
PERFORMANCE – 0-100km/h,
7.7sec
FUEL USAGE – 5.9l/100km
LIKES - Torquey, turbocharged
engine and muffled exhaust sound
User-friendly in-cabin ergonomics
DISLIKES - Complicated
specification and options list
Minor road noise off rear tyres
Every segment of the sport utility vehicle market has been exploited
by the car manufacturing companies; there’s never been so much
choice. Buyers are still flocking to SUVs in all shapes and sizes.
The latest to come my way was BMW’s new X2, which is part of an
extensive range from the German company. There is a prolific array of
models from small to big – X1 to X6 – and, if you add in the Active
Tourer, the choice is mind-boggling.
The X2 sits close to the small end of the line-up, and is available here
in three variants. There’s a 1.5-litre three-cylinder entry-level model with
front-wheel-drive at $60,900, a 2-litre four-cylinder model with frontwheel-drive
at $70,900, and the same engine with four-wheel-drive for
an extra $3000. The evaluation car was the mid-model, but with a huge
range of added specification, it lists at $85,740.
Put simply, the X2 is badged with sDrive or xDrive, the latter is
4WD, and that car would certainly be my preference; but even so, the
sDrive20i is a smart piece of kit, and if you are familiar with the way
BMW builds cars, you will instantly be at ease with the way the X2
operates.
Even though it is at the small end of the scale, the X2 is still a
comfortable car for the family. It makes good use of its compact
proportions, and the rear cargo area is more than useful. In-cabin
comfort has been a high manufacturing priority, and there is satisfactory
space for three occupants across the rear.
If I was an X2 owner I don’t know that I’d need all of the bells and
whistles that were fitted to the test car, but it’s good to know there are a
wealth of options that you can order into the vehicle as a buyer.