Yahoo Autos 2024 BMW X2 First Drive Review: A niche within a niche, but an interesting one
CASCAIS, Portugal — BMW’s even-numbered X-series line of slope-back crossovers is proof that not every vehicle has to make perfect sense. The German brand basically invented the genre when it significantly reduced the usability of its otherwise luxurious and practical X5 by redesigning its roofline to reduce its capacity to hold humans and cargo while simultaneously making it more expensive. The X6, back in 2008 or today, doesn’t make sense. Except it sort of does once you realize and accept that it was all done in the name of style. Either way, the world was introduced to a new category of vehicles that BMW termed the Sports Activity Coupe.
The next-generation 2024 BMW X2 follows the same path as the X4 and the aforementioned X6. That makes it a departure from the first-generation X2, which was more like a big hatchback with some avant garde styling cues. Like its predecessor, though, the new X2 is still based atop the guts of the most recent X1 that we generally like. In the same way that the latest X1 is so thoroughly improved over its predecessor, the X2 is a vastly better vehicle than the old X2, with more room inside, better in-car technology, improved dynamics and a more refined powertrain with the addition of a quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox.
Perhaps most importantly, considering its mission, it also looks more aggressive and, though the original X2 certainly had a unique look, will more clearly stand out in a crowd. The angular twin grilles are large, but not comically so. While their shape doesn’t look like any naturally occurring kidney we’ve ever laid eyes on, BMW still calls them such. And if you’re going to buy a current BMW with over-flared nostrils, adding the optional illumination surround seems like a reasonable choice. From that brachycephalic face, the rest of the X2 flows well with a roofline that’s fashionably low before trailing back at a quick angle directly aft of the box-shaped cabin. Mildly beefed-up flares around the wheel arches provide some visual muscle.
The 2024 BMW X2 is quite a bit larger than the model it replaces. It’s 2.5 inches taller, and close to 8(!) inches longer on a wheelbase and track that are pushed out a little less than an inch each. That overall length is especially noteworthy as it’s 2.6 inches longer than even the X1 that’s designed to fulfill the more practical side of the small-SUV ledger. All in the name of style, of course.
It comes as no surprise that interior spaciousness and cargo capacity are also better than before. BMW hasn’t listed full interior specs just yet, but notes “noticeable increases in shoulder and elbow room.” Rear-seat legroom is said to be up by a full inch, and indeed, none of my limbs were too pinched while folding myself into the back and getting comfy behind a virtual 6-foot driver. It’s not entirely cave-like in the back, either, though an X1 will be more friendly for family duty. There’s 25.3 cubic feet behind the 40/20/40-split folding rear seat, or as much as 51.7 cubic feet with it folded. That’s up by more than 3 and 4 cubic feet, respectively. That total is also virtually identical to the X1's cargo capacity behind its back seat, but we'll need to test it to see if that comparison shakes out in real life.
The rest of the interior appointments and technology mimic those of the X1 we reviewed a year ago. There’s enough matte-finish brightwork inside the X2 M25i we tested to disrupt what would otherwise be a monotony of black plastic, Alcantara, animal-free faux leather and textiles. Surrounding the driver is BMW’s big, curved digital panel that stretches along the dash to encapsulate the touchscreen infotainment with crisp graphics, quick responses and a lot less menu digging. That’s important, since BMW’s old knob-based iDrive setup is gone in favor of a touch-only-based iDrive 9 system initially implemented in the X1 (note that the BMW i5 and presumably future upper-end BMWs keep the knob as a redundant luxury). Like other recent BMWs, the gear selector is now operated via a small toggle that looks strange at first but is actually refreshingly simple to operate.
