Can an SUV (sports utility vehicle) be sporty? My colleague and I spent a good hour debating this question, with him saying that they could, and I, insisting that they could not. With both of us failing to convince the other, he ended the argument by reminding me that despite my old-fashioned thinking, coupe-SUVs are popular with buyers, as evidenced by the success of the Range Rover Evoque.
BMW is no stranger to this segment either. The brand’s idea of a coupe-SUV is the X6, which it calls a “Sports Activity Coupe”. The German manufacturer’s latest contender in this segment is the X4, which is based on the current X3 model.
Although the X3 and X4 share the same platform, the latter looks nothing like the former. The X4 has a distinctive sloping roofline and fastback-style tailgate, as opposed to the X3’s squarish silhouette and vertical tailgate. Apart from being 14mm longer than the X3, the X4 also sits 36mm closer to the ground and has a more ground-hugging stance – both its front and rear tracks are 22mm wider than the X3’s.
This focus on sportiness is reflected in the X4’s cabin, whose backseat is less spacious than the X3. That sloped roofline means lower headroom, so rear passengers over 1.75 metres tall are likely to feel claustrophobic. The X4 is also less practical than the X3 – the X4’s boot capacity is 500 litres expandable to 1400 litres, versus the X3’s 550-1600 litres.
BMW has also done away with the grab handles because it wanted the interior to seem more “coupe-like”. That doesn’t make any sense to me, but I suppose occupants can always hold on to one other whenever the driver decides to perform “dynamic manoeuvres”.
Indeed, the X4 is BMW’s best-handling SUV to date. It is in its element tackling twisty bits of tarmac – from winding country roads to tight hairpins on mountainsides. Its agility makes the X3 seem ungainly in comparison. The temptation to explore the X4’s abilities is difficult to resist – if you have occupants in the rear, you’d better tell them to get used to being pressed against each other.
Great handling needs to be complemented by precise steering, and BMW has delivered accordingly. The electrically powered, speed-sensitive rack makes positioning the car easy, with the helm weighting up progressively as you turn into corners.
Apart from its wider tracks and lower height, the X4’s front seats are also 20mm lower than the ones in the X3, giving the driver a more stable feel. This driving position, in my opinion, is the best among BMW’s X models.
The X4 xDrive35i is equipped with BMW’s now-familiar 3-litre turbo inline-6, which pumps out 306bhp and 400Nm. The German carmaker claims the X4 will go from a standstill to 100kmh in 5.5 seconds, despite the vehicle weighing nearly 1.9 tonnes. Going by the seat of my pants, however, I would add another 1.5 seconds to that claimed timing.
A coupe-SUV like the X4 can be fun-to-drive, but I still prefer to keep the “sports” separate from the “utility”. Perhaps that is what makes me old-fashioned – I just refuse to compromise.
SPECIFICATIONS
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE Inline-6, 24-valves, turbocharged
CAPACITY 2979cc
BORE X STROKE 84mm x 89.6mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 10.2:1
MAX POWER 306bhp at 5800-6400rpm
MAX TORQUE 400Nm at 1200-5000rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 161.9bhp per tonne
GEARBOX 8-speed automatic with manual select
DRIVEN WHEELS All
PERFORMANCE
0-100KM/H 5.5 seconds
TOP SPEED 247km/h
CONSUMPTION 12km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 193g/km
SUSPENSION
FRONT Double wishbones, coil springs
REAR Multi-link, coil springs
BRAKES
FRONT / REAR Ventilated discs
TYRES
TYPE Michelin Primacy 3
SIZE 245/45 R19 (front), 275/40 R19 (rear)
SAFETY
AIRBAGS 6
TRACTION CONTROL ABS with DSC
MEASUREMENTS
LENGTH 4671mm
WIDTH 1881mm
HEIGHT 1624mm
WHEELBASE 2810mm
KERB WEIGHT 1890kg
TURNING CIRCLE 11.9m
BUYING IT
PRICE INCL. COE To be announced
WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km
WE SAY
+ Sublime handling, great driving position, stylish exterior
– Smaller boot and tighter backseat than X3, no grab handles
