Tested: BMW's 2022 X4 M Competition Is Torque-Rich and Stiff

Call us Abe Simpson, because the 2022 BMW X4 M's turned us into gaffers yelling at clouds. We know the market demands SUVs and we understand that BMW's M division likes to build impossibly capable track-focused performance machines. But maybe there are some models that are better off without the full M treatment. Like the X4.

Don't get us wrong, we thoroughly enjoyed wringing out our Competition-spec X4 M's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, which makes 503 horsepower (30 horses more than the run-of-the-mill X4 M). The latest iteration of BMW's S58 straight-six is an absolute riot all the way up to its 7200 rpm redline. And for 2022, the $81,595 X4 M Competition's engine benefits from an additional 37 pound-feet of torque (the $74,595 X4 M sees a 15-lb-ft jump in torque).

With 479 pound-feet of twist, the X4 M Competition accelerates with even more ferocity than before. Relative to a 2020 X4 M Competition we tested in late 2019, the torquier 2022 model cut 0.2 second from the SUV's 5-to-60-mph and 30-to-50-mph jaunts, turning in times of 4.4 and 2.5 seconds, respectively. Its 3.0-second 50-to-70-mph run, meanwhile, marked a 0.1-second improvement compared to its 2020 counterpart, as did its 3.2-second run to 60 mph.

Of course, the X4 M's near-intuitive eight-speed automatic transmission and quick-reacting all-wheel-drive system deserve some credit for these figures, as well, as the former provides cover for the turbos' initial lag, while the latter ensures the Bimmer launches with little drama. But even with all-wheel-drive traction, this hunchbacked SUV packs enough grunt to lightly spin its front tires during full-throttle launches.

Thanks to the inclusion of the $2500 M Driver's package, our X4 M Competition tops out at a claimed 177 mph. Possibly more worthwhile than the 22-mph increase in top speed, the package also includes a one-day driving class at BMW's Performance Center.

With the aid of its 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, our Sao Paulo Yellow Bimmer pulled 0.96 g on the skidpad—the same number posted by the 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio we tested less than a year ago. Despite its prodigious grip, the X4 M's 4555-pound curb weight and high center of gravity handicap it on more serpentine stretches of tarmac. Note that a 2022 X4 M Competition at our 2022 Lightning Lap event lapped Virginia International Raceway in an impressive 3:02.9, but a more-than-600-pound lighter 2022 M3 Competition xDrive sedan—which employs essentially the same powertrain as the X4 M Competition—did the deed in a stunning 2:53.5.

Still, the sheer madness of the X4 M Competition is a thrill in its own right. Boot the accelerator out of a corner with the all-wheel-drive system set to its rear-biased Sport mode and the bulky BMW's tail end will pop out for a brief bit of controlled oversteer. Enter a tight corner at a decent clip and the inside rear wheel will lift, turning this high-powered X4 variant into a temporary tripod. No doubt, the M3 and M4 are superior tools on back roads, but the X4 M Competition is still good for some fun in such environments.

This is in spite of its variable-ratio steering, which suffers from a small but noticeable amount of play on-center in Comfort mode yet feels artificially heavy when switched to its Sport and Sport Plus settings. The brake pedal is far too touchy at lower speeds, too, and it requires a delicate touch to prevent the calipers from biting too hard on the 15.6-inch front and 14.6-inch rear rotors. Once the brake system starts to build some heat, though, the pedal action becomes more progressive.

The X4 M Competition's big brakes proved plenty capable at the track, working with the summer rubber to bring the SUV to a halt from 70 mph in a fade-free 154 feet—a figure equal to that of a 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, albeit 7 feet longer than the 147-foot showing of the 2020 X4 M Competition.