The X2 M35i even touts quad exhaust tips, unusual for a four-cylinder M-lite model. Is it sacrilege?
Bavaria’s compact “coupe” SUV enters its second generation with the redesigned 2024 BMW X2. As it was before, the X2 is essentially an X1 with a more sloping roofline. And, like that car, the X2 comes in base xDrive28i form and as a sportier M35i xDrive making 312 horsepower.
Compared to the SUV it replaces, the new X2 is bigger—7.6 inches longer (0.9 inches more in the wheelbase), 2.5 inches taller, and 0.8 inches wider. It also happens to be 2.6 inches longer than the current X1. Style-wise, it gets an X1-style front end differentiated here with a wider, snoutier kidney grille that sits atop a blacked-out section, reminiscent of the design on the refreshed X5 and X6. The rear end, however, is arguably more interesting, featuring a set of chiseled taillights that call to mind the headlights from the pre-facelift G20 3 Series. Available 21-inch wheels represent the biggest wheels ever to be offered on a compact BMW, we’re told.
Stirring up the mildest of controversies in The Drive‘s newsroom is the presence of quad exhaust tips on the X2 M35i, a feature previously reserved for “proper” BMW M cars.
Inside, the X2 looks mostly the same as what you get in the X1, but BMW is touting newly developed seats (that applies to both the base and optional sport seats) that are said to be both comfortable over long distances and supportive in the corners. These are made of animal-free perforated Veganza and come with Alcantara inserts and blue stitching if you go for the M Sport package. The new X2 uses the brand’s current curved screen infotainment system running iDrive 9 on a 10.25-inch center display and an instrument-cluster screen measuring 10.7 inches.
Just like X1, under the hood of the base X2 xDrive28i is a 2.0-liter turbo-four making 241 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. It’ll get the car from zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. If that’s not quite enough punch, the M35i also uses a 2.0-liter turbo-four making the same amount of torque but cranks up output to 312 horsepower. 60 mph arrives a whole second quicker, clocking in at 5.2 seconds. Both models use a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The 2024 BMW X2 will hit dealers in March 2024. Official pricing has yet to be announced, but we expect it to start somewhere in the low-to-mid $40,000s.
Got a tip or question for the author about the X2? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com
