Review: Larger X2 adds style to BMW’s smallest Sport Activity Vehicle

The 2024 BMW X2.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

It’s always been a challenge to know what to call the BMW X2. Some might call it a subcompact SUV, but it’s not really rugged enough for that. It’s more performance-oriented than just a crossover. BMW wants to call it an SAV, for Sport Activity Vehicle, as it’s been terming its X-line of vehicles for years now, but that’s just marketing-speak. Me, I’d call it a raised fastback, like the X4 and the X6.

Just don’t call it an electric car – at least not in North America. We will only get the gas-powered X2. BMW Canada would not comment on why the all-new iX2 EV will not be sold in Canada, but it’s probably because it would chew into sales of the new all-electric Mini Countryman. The big Mini shares its platform and is a similar size and price.

The second generation of BMW’s subcompact X2 crossover is not so compact as before. It’s a sizable 194 millimetres longer than its predecessor and 64 millimetres taller, which means there’s a little more space for passengers and a lot more space for luggage. It’s slightly longer than the X1 SUV, though again, it’s built on the same platform and I’d challenge you to notice the difference.

The base model is the X2 28i, which starts at $52,050. It looks good in the pictures, and the engine seems decent on paper with its 241 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, but the only model to be driven here in Portugal was the more powerful M35i, which costs about $10,000 more.

This is not a full “M” performance car, but it does feel a bit like one. It has four pipes at the back, for example, though that’s a bit geeky. There’s a small Gurney-style spoiler just over those pipes, and at the front, an illuminated surround for the wider kidney grille. Pay the money for options, like the $10,000 of extras fitted to the test car, and you can have the head-up display and M Sport brakes and seats, and even the black mirror caps.

It’s the driving that matters, though, and that didn’t disappoint. It didn’t wow me either, but the X2 M35i held its own through the many Portuguese corners without any surprises. The wheelbase and track width have been increased by 22 and 21 millimetres respectively, and that will always help a car with such sporty aspirations as this.

Tech specs

2024 BMW X2 M35i

Base price/as tested: $62,050 / $77,650, plus fees and taxes
Engine: Four-cylinder turbocharged in-line 2.0-litre
Horsepower/torque: 312 horsepower, 295 lb-ft
Transmission/drive: Seven-speed automatic Steptronic / All-wheel drive
Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): Not announced (10.5 observed)
Alternatives: BMW X1, Mini Countryman Cooper S, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Audi Q3, Volvo XC40

Looks

The X2 has grown almost 20 centimetres longer and more than six centimetres taller.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

The new X2 is designed to look like a sexy coupe, with its sloped rear hatch that cuts down on the usable luggage space inside. This new generation seems larger than it is, owing to nicely flared wheel arches and slimmer lights at the front and back.

If you like the green paint of the tester car, it’s called “Frozen Tampa Bay” and is available for an extra $6,000. Most metallic paint options are an additional $900, while only non-metallic “Alpine White” comes at no extra cost.

Interior

The back seats of the 2024 BMW X2, which has a surprising amount of space.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

The cabin is standard BMW, which means it’s all business. The M35i comes with the widescreen “curved display” – it’s two screens beside each other under a single sheet of slightly curved glass, and it’s an impressive feature with so many apps that you’ll probably never use them all.

What it doesn’t have are many buttons and switches.

Other than those on the steering wheel (which is a lovely, leather-wrapped sport wheel that’ll make you feel good every time you grip it), there are just a few subtle buttons on the dash and on the centre console. There isn’t even the hefty iController dial that’s been fitted to almost every BMW for the past two decades. Even the transmission selector is a rocker switch on the console, and paddle shifters are optional. Voice commands can be used for most everything using BMW’s new Operating System 9, though the system will need some training. It understood about half the commands I barked at it.

There’s a surprising amount of space inside the cabin, in both rows of seats. The ceiling is scooped out above the rear seats, which gave me room to sit back there comfortably despite being almost six feet tall. The tester was fitted with the optional M Sport seats that were a pleasure to sit in, but BMW says the standard seats are newly developed for this generation, “with optimized long-distance comfort and extended functionality.” I can’t vouch for them, but I expect they’re fine.

Performance

It’s quick, but not as quick as you might expect. In fact, it’s slightly slower off the mark than the previous X2, claiming a zero-to-100-kilometres-an-hour acceleration of 5.2 seconds, compared with 4.9 for the previous generation. Honestly, you’d never notice, but you will notice the lag time when you drop down a gear or two to spool up the revs. (Like it or hate it, you should appreciate this while we are still free to buy gas-powered cars. Electric cars have no lag whatsoever.

The ride is stiffer than I expected. I had to check the X2 wasn’t already set to “Sport” mode but it was not – Sport mode was even stiffer. On the smooth, winding road, this was welcome and it was not uncomfortable on the straight highway, but your butt will notice if you hit a Canadian pothole.

Technology

Every new generation comes with new technology and the X2 is no exception. Features like active cruise control and lane-keeping assistance are becoming standard on much less costly cars, but they’re part of a $2,000 package with the X2. Active Navigation, with directions displayed right on the digital screen image from the front cameras, also costs more. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.

Cargo

There’s 560 litres of luggage space on the 2024 BMW X2 with the back seats up.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

Leave the rear seats up and there’s 560 litres of luggage space in the back. Fold them flat – and they do fold pretty much flat, in a 40-20-40 configuration – and that bumps up to 1,470 litres. That’s 90 litres more behind the seats than the previous generation, and 115 litres more with the seats flat. It’s never going to be as spacious as the 728 and 1,620 litres in the boxier X1, but how much room do you really need?

The verdict

The new X2 is a little larger than it used to be, and its software and features are now thoroughly up to date. Don’t pay the extra for the M35i unless you appreciate the sportiness of it – and watch out for those potholes.

The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.

Shopping for a new car? Check out the new Globe Drive Build and Price Tool to see the latest discounts, rebates and rates on new cars, trucks and SUVs. Click here to get your price.