By Jens Meiners
We brought you details 18 months ago on the upcoming BMW X4 crossover coupe, and our speculation was further corroborated by the company’s $900-million investment in its Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant that will produce the sleek ute. Now we get confirmation, again, from the top, following the brand’s inevitable self-laudation. At BMW’s annual financial press conference, chairman Norbert Reithofer had this to share with the assembled press: “We created the premium Sports Activity Vehicle segment. Until then there were no all-wheel-drive cars on the roads that were so sporty. From the late 1990s to date, we have sold over 2.7 million BMW X models. Next year we will expand our offering in this segment with the BMW X4.”
The X4, which company executives have hinted strongly at in the past, is a reality, and it will arrive in the 2014 calendar year. What we know, even if Reithofer does not disclose it, is the fact that the X4 is a coupe-like derivative of the X3, with which it shares its platform.
- Comparison Test: 2013 BMW X3 xDrive28i vs. 2013 Audi Q5 2.0T, 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
- Long-Term Road Test Wrap-Up: 2008 BMW X6 xDrive50i
- Road Test: 2010 BMW X6 M
The U.S. market will receive the X4 xDrive28i powered a 240-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder; and the X4 xDrive35i, which will be powered by the company’s 300-hp, turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six. Other markets will receive diesel variants, and it’s possible such mills could be added to the U.S. lineup as well. We like the idea of a prettier X3, especially considering that vehicle’s dynamic abilities easily surpass its stylistic appeal.
