RE: BMW X4 confirmed

Thursday 6th March 2014

BMW X4 confirmed

What, was it too fugly to reveal at the show or something?



With most hacks home from the Geneva show after two days of unrelenting new car reveals, press conferences and concept unveilings you might think we were all due a pause for breath.

'Elegance of a classical coupe' reckons BMW
'Elegance of a classical coupe' reckons BMW
Apparently not, BMW taking the odd course of action of confirming the production version of the X4 just as most of the industry was turning out the lights after two Geneva press days thinking 'well, that's done and dusted then!'

We actually got the gist of the X4 almost a year ago now so it's not exactly the bolt from the blue, beyond the slightly odd timing of the announcement.

Wearily we once again drag ourselves into the realm of tub-thumping press release lingo with BMW claiming the X4 has "the hallmark features of the BMW X family with the sporting elegance of a classical coupe." Elegance of a classical coupe? Really?

What else have we got? Blah blah "cuts a dynamic profile", "distinctive sporting character", "unmistakable presence on the road" (that's a polite way of putting it), "harmonious synthesis of sportiness and exclusivity" and so on. And on.

Like an X3 but uglier, pricier and with less headroom
Like an X3 but uglier, pricier and with less headroom
But what have we actually got? As predicted, the X4 is based on the X3, as reflected in the F26 internal code (X3 is F25). It's 14mm longer overall than the X3 but 36mm lower in overall height. While we've got the tape measure out driver and passenger sit 20mm lower than in the equivalent X3, rear seat passengers 28mm lower to compensate for that sloping roofline.

Engines are all diesel initially, comprising 190hp 20d from £36,590, 258hp 30d from £44,890 and 313hp 35d for a burly £48,990 upwards. Equivalent X3s would start at £32,990, £39,790 and £46,385 respectively, offering an idea of the premium you'll pay for the X4's more assertive stance. Add £1,500 for xLine trim comprising 18-inch wheels, aluminium exterior trim, sport seats and xLine leather and £3,000 over the price of SE models for M Sport. 19-inch wheels, M Sport suspension and the usual smattering of logo'd up trim are all included. All but the entry level X4 xDrive20d come with the familiar eight-speed auto as standard, that car's standard six-speed manual optionally upgradeable to match and probably a default tick for most buyers.

Nicer from in here; avoid reflections in buildings
Nicer from in here; avoid reflections in buildings
As the flagship of the range the 35d is probably the one most attuned to our tastes (relatively) and the best equipped to go Macan chasing. Indeed, the 35d is considerably faster (and more expensive) than the Macan S Diesel. The Porsche's 258hp and £43,300 starting price actually compare more closely to the 30d. The 30d's 5.8 seconds to 62 and 145mph top speed are token improvements on the 6.3 and 142mph of the Porsche, the X4's 47.9 combined mpg and 156g/km marginally better too.

If the 35d really wants to prove itself the Audi SQ5 is probably a more honest test, 313hp, 0-62 in 5.1 and a mighty 479lb ft all giving the X4 a proper for its money. The Audi is also £4,285 cheaper with a starting price of £44,705.

Orders are now open and the first X4s will be in dealerships from early July.

Author
Discussion

andrewparker

Original Poster:

7,900 posts

186 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Hmm, BMW are losing it IMO.

Matt80M

1,137 posts

171 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
I actually quite like it and would happily trundle around in one of those.

j90gta

563 posts

133 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Oh dear; that has truly been touched by the ugly stick.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
It looks like a toy version of the X6. smile

zebedee

4,589 posts

277 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
adding 6 inches of metal between wheel arch and glasshouse of a (very) normal car does not count as car design.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
An answer to a question that nobody asked.

Veeayt

3,139 posts

204 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
kambites said:
It looks like a toy version of the X6. smile
Only slightly uglier

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Veeayt said:
kambites said:
It looks like a toy version of the X6. smile
Only slightly uglier
Is that possible? yikes

blackchrome917

69 posts

147 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
I like it.

Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
andrewparker said:
Hmm, BMW are losing it IMO.
It's ugly and pointless, but sales figures speak for themselves. Far from losing it, BMW is coining it.

164Cloverleaf

32 posts

155 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
I agree with all of the above, as no doubt will the next 5 pages of comments.
It'll still sell by the boatload though.

TLandCruiser

2,788 posts

197 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
So they took the ugly X6 made it slightly smaller and even uglier, which I did not think was possible! way to go BMW!

Driller

8,310 posts

277 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Dunno, quite like it. We're about to order an X3 35d, might change to an X4 now. The X6 is a bit on the big size so this falls nicely between the two.

hondansx

4,562 posts

224 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
It's the lack of stance; those wheels are far too inset! Shame, on paper it sounds interesting. The SQ5 also looks good on paper, but it looks incredibly boring and no different from a standard Q5.

Redlake27

2,255 posts

243 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
I'm a BMW fan. But I'm repulsed by X6 and even more so by this. One of the reasons for choosing an X3 over a 3 series is, I guess, practicality (even if it is no more spacious than a Touring). So why take a practical car and make it less practical with a slopey rear window?

But, BMW and Audi are brilliant marketeers in creating niches that create revenue.

Shaoxter

4,048 posts

123 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Looks like a 3 series GT on stilts. And that was already an abomination to begin with.

Simond S

4,514 posts

276 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
I'd imagine that I'll be driving one of these by the end of the year.

The X6 is just a little too big for parking spaces so hopefully this will be slightly more practical.

Ignoring the "ugly stick" comments which I truly don't understand, the X6 is a remarkable car. It seems to suffer from JC not liking it and everyone jumping on the same bandwagon. The rear window may slope, but so do all coupes. If viewed as a coupe with superb visibility, great handling and obscene power it just makes sense.

This looks like a baby X6 which will no doubt be another hit for BMW.


Edited by Simond S on Thursday 6th March 10:40

edinph

386 posts

173 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Just lost my breakfast! Do people REALLY need these ugly things?

164Cloverleaf

32 posts

155 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Redlake27 said:
But, BMW and Audi are brilliant marketeers in creating niches that create revenue.
Indeed, the niche within a niche within a niche thing is all very well, and customers can't seem to get enough of it at the moment. It works because BMW/Audi et al have a huge reserve of cachet and good will build up over many years.
They're now cashing in those reserves for what will probably be a relatively short-term gain. Once the reserve is spent its gone forever, and then customers will start regarding the 'premium' Germans as just another bunch of mass-market car manufacturers.

Axionknight

8,505 posts

134 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
It looks far better than the X6 IMO, but then again, that's hardly difficult to best is it?

BMW and Merc amaze me at the amount of cars they trot out that seem totally pointless, it must be me that's out of touch though as they flog 'em by the bucketload. confused