mReview: BMW X2 sDrive16i M Sport – Simple Is Best

The BMW X2 has a curious blend of style and practicality that makes it stand out in BMW's lineup. 

The X2 was the first car to use BMW’s Sports Activity Coupe (SAC) body style and is now back in this new, second-generation form. It’s grown considerably over its predecessor, with increased length, width, height, wheelbase, and track width over the original. 

Visually, the X2 may be a bit of an acquired taste. My best description for it is that it resembles a sort of shrunken but more angular X6. Personally, I think it’s one of the better looking cars in BMW’s lineup today, especially from the rear three-quarter angle. The flared fenders and sharp edges give it a pretty muscular look on the road, certainly one that belies its conservative powertrain.

The X2 may only house a mere 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder engine but this compact SUV proves that small doesn’t necessarily mean weak. The engine and 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox combo deliver an adequate punch, even emitting a rather raughty noise when prodded. It never felt like it was being overly strained when cruising at higher speeds, although overtaking manoeuvres do have to be planned a little bit in advance. 

The X2 comes standard with 20-inch M light-alloy wheels.

The downshift paddle on the left of the steering wheel doubles up as a “boost” paddle for a push-to-pass style button but in practice, it doesn’t seem to do anything extra than what you’d get from just flooring the gas on your own. Putting the pedal to the metal unleashes all 122hp and 230Nm, slowly but surely getting the X2 to 100km/h from a standstill in 10.5 seconds. Ok, so it’s not very fast. 

Conventional air vents and real buttons!

The X2 does have a couple of minor foibles. One noticeable issue is the amount of road noise that filters into the cabin, at highway speeds it can be quite the racket, especially over noisier roads. As typical with many modern BMWs, the steering is also extremely light and lacks feedback, while this does get the job done, it certainly doesn’t add much to the “Sport” bit of this Sports Activity Coupe. 

On the plus side, the interior is well-designed and user-friendly, a refreshing change from the overly complicated and unnecessarily digitised interfaces found in some of the other new BMWs we’ve tested. All of the vehicle functions are well laid out and are intuitive to use. The inclusion of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also a welcome touch. 

Compact SUV it may be but it's still big on the inside.

Despite being one of the smaller SUVs in BMW’s lineup, the X2 is still pretty big and has a sizeable boot to go along with it. You get between 560 and 1,470 litres of cargo capacity depending on whether the rear seats are folded or not but even with them up, there’s more than enough space for suitcases or golf bags. 

Overall, the BMW X2 is a standout in its class. Despite a noisy cabin and eager but meagre power, I think the X2 is one of the best cars BMW has in its lineup at the moment. Though it is much simpler and less extravagant than some of its bigger siblings, sometimes simple is best.

Read More: mReview: BMW iX1 Electric eDrive20 xLine – Fit For The Family

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