The 2024 BMW X2 may be a coupe crossover, but BMW would prefer if you didn’t call it that. Mind you, I’m not sure that the alternative is an improvement. See, BMW calls this small, swept-roof crossover a SAC (short for Sports Activity Coupe), and aside from a lack of wrinkles, the X2 fits that description perfectly. In essence, it’s a less practical X1, which means it rides on BMW’s UKL2 front-wheel-drive platform, and it’s aiming straight at image-conscious buyers who can’t even come close to swinging the payments on an X6, or even an X4. So, is this SAC a convincing alternative? Let’s take a quick look and see what’s what.
Ever since the first one, SACs haven’t been pretty things to look at, but the new X2 is better than most. The profile is mostly fine, with a sharp roofline kink aft of the rear doors that should preserve headroom while giving shoppers the silhouette they want. However, the not-quite-round wheel arches are mildly irksome, and the front and rear fascias need some work. From either end, the X2 is lumpy, unnecessarily aggro, and full of flourishes seemingly made by recent ArtCenter graduates with more hard skills than vision. Still, it appears less stunted than its X4 bigger brother, and it doesn’t look a bionic rhinoceros quite like the Mercedes coupe crossovers. The downside to all of this? I think the $24,395 Buick Envista does the coupe crossover styling thing better.
Sure, the South Korea-built Envista may have a tiny little 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, but for a car that tops out at $32,050 with every conceivable factory-installed option equipped, its styling sure punches above its price class. From the sleek front end to the intriguing flank surfacing, this is a more interesting car to look at than the BMW, and it doesn’t cost a mint.
Powering the BMW X2 xDrive28i is a two-liter turbocharged Miller cycle four-cylinder engine cranking out 241 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. Paired with a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, this motor generates perfectly adequate thrust for a compact SAC, enabling a claimed zero-to-60 mph time of 6.2 seconds. Should you wish for more from your SAC, there’s also the 312-horsepower X2 M35i xDrive, sporting a beefed up two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a claimed zero-to-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds. None of that is massively interesting stuff, but the seven-speed DCT does feature a limited-slip front differential, which should help X2 owners maintain control of their SACs in slippery conditions.
Inside the 2024 BMW X2, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this SAC is lined with leathery stuff. It looks like a rather nice, if corporate, cabin that eschews the traditional iDrive knob in favor of iDrive 9’s touch-driven interface. Other neat touches include available aluminum speaker grilles, ambient lighting, a wireless phone charger the size of a rotisserie chicken, and a nifty floating armrest. That’s a lot of stuff to pack into such a small SAC, although it is nigh-on identical to the type of kit you get in a BMW X1.
So far, so decent enough for half the customers at Equinox. However, there’s an elephant in the room named purpose we need to address. See, coupe crossovers are always a compromise, hacking away at a useful utility vehicle to end up with the usable cargo space of a sedan without the handling of a sedan. Some might make the argument about ride quality, but if you steer clear of the M Sport package on the current 3 Series, it’s a properly comfortable vehicle. Instead, coupe crossovers are vanity vehicles, and while vanity vehicles can work as flagrant displays of wealth, an entry-level crossover coupe feels a bit like buying the cheapest item Gucci offers.
The 2024 BMW X2 is expected to go on sale in March for an undisclosed price, and if you already have your heart set on one, feel free to buy one. However, if you’re open to options, my advice on any subcompact luxury crossover on a front-wheel-drive platform is the same: Save your money and just buy something from a normal brand. Regular cars have grown so refined that one could buy a loaded Mazda CX-30 or a well-specced Hyundai Tucson and still end up with a lovely, refined vehicle at a far cheaper price. That’s not exactly keeping up with the Joneses, but if you’re not gaining a longitudinal architecture, the fabulous ZF 8HP automatic transmission, or the gorgeous proportions of a long dash-to-axle ratio, it probably isn’t worth paying a premium for some textiles and a badge.
(Photo credits: BMW, Buick)
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What in the camero tarnation is going on with that ugly rump?
The rear end looks like it’s been sat on, and as others have already noted, it’s giving the Bad Days of DaimlerChrysler.
BMW, it’s time to stop. Hire a designer who can see, please.
“adequate thrust for a compact SAC”
“maintain control of their SACs in slippery conditions.”
“this SAC is lined with leathery stuff.”
Anybody else seeing a pattern here? No? Just me? Carry on then. If you need me I’ll be over here in the 5th grade.
The first thing that makes me think of is the Dodge Caliber.
I came here to post the same thing. Dodge may have actually done it a little better at the back end.
SAC of SH*T!
BMW’s lost the narrative.
This is probably the perfect choice for me since there appears to be almost no window glass. I hate having to look at all my screens when there is too much sunlight in the cabin or distractions from the road outside. /s
> “coupe crossover”
> four-door CUV
these two things are not the same
Hey, legit question:
If crossovers didn’t become a thing and it just remained body-on-frame truck-based SUVs, would there be an alternate timeline in a parallel universe where minivans were “coupe-ified?” Perhaps even with two doors, but absolutely mahoosive, sliding ones?
We have a designer for these things, right?
CUVs: get coupe-ified
Enthusiasts: THIS IS AN ABOMINATION IN THE EYES OF GOD, I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT, EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO OWNS ONE SHOULD TRIED AT THE HAGUE
Minivans: get coupe-ified
Enthusiasts (probably): I would sacrifice my first born to be in the same room as one of these!
Enthusiasts really didn’t like minivans until they started to be replaced by objectively worse crossovers. Even now they’re not accepted by everyone.
Hell in the ’90s Minivan backlash was so bad it was actually a key plot point in Full Throttle.
Minivans: get coupe-ified
They did?
It was a hypothetical
Oh thank God!
-Minivan enthusiast
It’s called the Renault Avantime and it’s indecently French.
I forget those were a thing because they existed for such a short time because the sales were absolutely abysmal. You could get a 6MT in them though!
And a wine bottle cooler. Because France.
Pontiac Aztek.
Never heard about the well named Renault Avantime ?
Also, am I the only one who doesn’t like BMW’s ’90s style door handles? I’ve gotten used to grabbing from the top so the new ones are annoying to use. I know, aero and whatever, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.
I dunno, I actually love them. Only thing I love about new BMWs. They probably aren’t as fun to use as the ones that came on early 2000s Volvos, though. Those have a nice heft and a chunky sound when actuated.
If it’s small enough to be mistaken for a hatchback like the outgoing X2, then I might like it.
BMW can call it whatever the hell they want but it’s a 4-door SUV, period.
I’m waiting for six-door four-row SUVs to come out. Unless some manufacturer goes all Gillette on the segment, and is all like, “Fuck it, we’re going to five rows“.
They’ll slope the rear roof line to make the rearmost rows awkward, but call it a coupe!
A crew-cab-coupe? Coupe XL? Ooh no an executive coupe!
YEP
Woof. My GF and I recently had the current gen of this car as a rental, and we were both surprised at how much we really liked it. I thought it had a sleek, understated look for a BMW. Apparently, BMW didn’t want that for this gen.
The F39 was really an outlier amongst the SACs. It was more of a lifted station wagon that a crossover coupe.
It was a lifted compact car, don’t try to make it cooler than it was. The Crosstrek isn’t a station wagon.
Fashionable? To whom?
I’d say I was shocked how ugly this is except this is coherent with the rest of the crap BMW has been making lately. In general SUV coupes are the mullets of the auto world, can’t believe we’re still seeing these-no one bothers making them besides the germans and anecdotally they seem to sell in tiny numbers so seems like most people don’t like them. BMW and Mercedes need to stop trying to make fetch happen.
Alright your resident crossover apologist will chime in. I don’t necessarily think cars like the X1, Q3, GLA, etc. are the atrocities in the eyes of god that so many enthusiasts do. In fact, I actually think the last gen X2 is a good looking car. It was much more of a traditional hatchback shape and I always liked the BMW roundels on the d pillars.
The new X1 looks good too. I’ve seen several in person and it’s now much more in line with the design language of the other BMW SUVs. It’s a handsome car and it actually offers quite a lot for the price if you go easy on the options. Plus you essentially get a full fat version of BMW’s current interior design, which borders on industry leading at the moment.
However I don’t think this is as visually appealing as the last generation. That was a playful looking car with some fun design touches. This is just kind of…aggro for the sake of being aggro. I’ve been mildly intrigued by the upcoming X1 M35 variant on paper…but BMW is taking their sweet time in getting them to journalists to drive so I kind of wonder if the experience is just sort of…meh? I can’t imagine all that much of their development money and energy goes to cars like that.
I drove a last gen X2 M35 once and I didn’t like it at all. It was way too hyper. The brakes were an on/off switch, the steering was overboosted and lidocaine numb, and the power delivery was a little rough around the edges. I took a plain old 330i out after it and never thought about the X2 again.
I’m curious if they’ve dealt with some of the quirks by now since that engine has been around for a while. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Anyway, before I stop ranting I wanted to mention the DCT. It’s a bizarre choice for a vehicle like this and apparently when coupled with the start/stop feature it’s a nightmare in stop and go traffic. I know that the ZF8 is only for RWD applications, but there has to be a better option for a lease special/gussied up appliance car than a damn DCT.
DCTs suck ass in day to day driving. I’d know, I’ve owned two. I’m personally willing to take the bad with the good, because when you’re driving in a spirited manner or on the highway they’re damn near perfect. But for the average customer that’s buying these? Totally unnecessary. Maybe they can get their hands on the ZF 9 speed that Stellantis is putting in the Toenail/Dart. That would likely be better for this application. Leave the DCT to the M lite trims.
Every site needs a crossover apologist to keep things in context.
Then be ready for extra context, because I like them too.
So much to say, where to start?? The old X2 was distinctive and arguably pretty and not really derivative- this one, unless the pictures are not doing it justice, is derivative and not really pretty.
Aside from looks, how will it drive?? My experience with driving the X2 was at a ski-hill BMW event and it was unequivocally the funnest car to drive that they had brought that day (the passenger seat BMW test driver says to my GF- “you didn’t drive the others like this!”) The reason I didn’t go for a X2 were three fold: 1. The driver’s seat didn’t fit my tall body, 2. The car had limited soundproofing, so it would not be a car I would want to drive on trips, and (a distant) 3. The overall space on the car, including cargo just wasn’t big enough for my mission. I couldn’t get the GF to switch from her CX-5, even though she was intrigued – of course by time her lease was up I had abandoned BMW ( no longer the Ultimate Driving Machine) and our other car is the Infiniti G37x that I inherited from my mother, so she felt she had to provide the road trip car.
The last thing that makes this car a no-go is the lack of buttons and an iDrive knob – really BMW, wtf!
We went to a BMW test drive event this spring, and after sampling a bunch of brand new BMWs, I hopped in the G37 and found that my daily was more fun than most of the BMWs – somewhat surprisingly the 330e came close to the G37. Again BMW – wtf, please give me a checkbox on the order form for an inline-6 5-series, X4, X5, X6, etc. that brings back the old BMW driving dynamics!
Others have said it better before, but calling this a coupe feels like using language in the same way crossovers use plastic cladding – an effort to convince people they’re buying something held to be desirable b/c of certain abilities or characteristics, but with none of the downsides of the actual real thing with the actual abilities or characteristics.
The way the taillights are different on either side of the trunk/hatch seam is really upsetting me. It looks like the trunk is slightly open.
There sure is a lot going on with those fenders. A flare leading into a flat surface on top of ANOTHER flare.
The interior looks fairly decent, however.
BMWs look like the interior design team is a harmonious team and the exterior folks all hate each other.
They removed the BMW roundels from the D-pillars! How will everybody know I’m driving a BMW now??
I actually kinda liked those, mostly because it gave a little bit of visual interest to the pillars.
I did as well. They were small/tasteful enough I thought, and broke up an otherwise big area of color. Retro in a way.
Yeah, I’m making fun of them but I did like them. Better than a gloss black panel to create a “floating” roof.
Maybe they can do a Mercedes and make a trashy light-up emblem for the entry level spec.
Just give us the fuckin 1 -series hatch
+1. I check BMW’s website a couple of times a year to see if they’ve snuck in some hatch that I didn’t know about. 🙁
I test drove a pre-owned 135i convertible back in 2013. Unfortunately, my circumstances at the time meant I needed something more practical. If I could have gotten the 130i rear-wheel-drive hatch, it would have been perfect for me.
“Rear wheel drive hatch”
Be still, my heart….
It’s the 2 Series now. And there’s two of them. One is the RWD coupe, and the others are the FWD Mini-based monstrosities, and you don’t even want to SEE the hatchback.