BMW X4

FIRST DRIVE Is new coupé-SUV a better bet than X3 it’s based on?

- Paul Bailey

THE new BMW X4 is an odd-looking thing. It’s not the first model to fuse coupé and SUV shapes – even the first generation car was preceded by the bigger X6 – but for some, it’s a niche that’s tough to come to terms with.

The combination of a bluff front end and huge grilles with a sleek, receding roof line gives the impression its face is too big for its body. Styling is a subjective thing, of course, but could this new car ever be described as pretty?

To many, that won’t be a problem. The X4’s appeal will come from the fact that the ‘sport’ part of Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) is more influential than it is for the car on which it’s based: the X3. Thanks to firmer suspension and a wider rear track, BMW reckons the X4 will out handle the class-leading Porsche Macan.

There are two engines to choose from at launch in the UK. Both are diesels and get BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system. The entry-level xDrive20d has a 187bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, while the M40d uses a 3.0-litre straight-six that produces 355bhp and 500Nm of torque.

Both 30d and M40i models (already available in the X3) will arrive later; until then, officially the X3 is the faster car.