Hi I’m Jonathan Lee from paultan. org and we’re here in sunny Portugal withthe brand-new BMW X2 – essentially an X1 coupe. So it’s got asportier, more dynamic look, aimed more at hipsters rather than young families. So, is this X2 just a marketing trick or is there actually some substanceunderneath? We’re taking it for a spin to find out. Let’s start with what’s under the bonnet. At launch there’s the sDrive20i, the xDrive20dand the xDrive25d. This one is the xDrive20dmaking 190 hp and 400 Nm of torque. The one we are gettingis the sDrive20i with a 2 litre petrol engine making 182 hpand 280 Nm of torque. This here has an 8-speed automatictransmission, the one we are getting has a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission andwhile this is four-wheel drive, the sDrive20iis front-wheel drive only. The styling is the main differentiatorsbetween this and the X1, so it’s a good job that this looks very different fromthe outside. There’s not a single piece here that is shared with the X1. At the front youhave these trapezoidal double kidney grilles which give it greater roadpresence – it’s actually a first for BMW. And then along here you have these hexagonalCorona-ring daytime running lights and full LED headlights. On the side thesewheels they measure up to 20 inches like you see here and the squared off wheelarches have an angled look to them which BMW says makes it look like it’s moving while it’sstill standing still. Then you have this roof line which is stretched andfairly low slung giving it that sort of a coupe look. You’ve got slim windows for a moredynamic look. The badges you see here they hark back to the classic BMW coupeslike the 2000 CS, the 3000 CSL and so on. On the back you havethese L-shaped LED taillights which are classically BMWthere’s a small rear window which makes it seem like it’s quite difficult to seeout of. These tailpipes they are 90 millimeters in diameterwhich BMW says is about the same size as an X6 M. Now let’s talkabout the models on offer unlike other BMWs you don’t get theSport Line or the Luxury Line. This just has the base model, and it goes straight to theM Sport pack which adds more aggressive front and rear bumpers and differentalloy wheels. There’s also for the first time on the BMW the M Sport X which isthe car that you see here with these grey highlights on the front the sideand the rear. This is not the one that we are getting, we’re getting the mid-rangeM Sport. The X2 won’t be cheap when it comes to Malaysia with an estimatedprice tag of RM320k. To put that into perspective the Mercedes-BenzGLA 250 is priced at RM270kand that’s with a more powerful engine and all-wheel drive. At least it’ll havemore kit a standard such as keyless entry, head-up display, a large touchscreen and dual zone automatic climate contro,l none of which are offered on theGLA. There are also LED headlights foglights and tail lights, hands-freepowered tailgate, powered seats with driver side memory and a reverse cameraunfortunately however you don’t get autonomous emergency braking which isunacceptable at this price range. Inside it’s kind of the same as X1 in terms ofthe design of the dashboard and so on There are a few changes though, thisdashboard is wrapped in Sensatec, which is basically BMW’s idea offake leather. There’s now an electronic gear lever thatgoes back to the same position whether it’s in reverse or drive, just like in otherBMWs. The infotainment system is the same as you’d find in the BMW 5-seriesThere is a tiled interface and live information on thehomescreen. The one that you see here is the one that we’ll be getting – it’s an8. 8-inch screen for the professional navigation system withtouch function. As with most BMWs the basics are well taken care of – the seatingposition is excellent and there’s plenty of support from the seats. There’s alsogreat visibility at the front, although the small rear window does meanthat rear visibility is impaired slightly. There’s also plenty of legroomand even though there’s a panoramic sunroof that is still enough headroomhere. Now let’s look at the back shall we?It’s in the back here where the BMW X2 struggles a bit. Headroom is actuallypretty tight and this high sill means that it feels quite claustrophobic inhere so it’s not the best if you have childrenHowever there’s plenty of legroom even with the front seat set to my drivingposition and you get air con vents and a rear armrest with dual cupholders. Open the tailgate, powered on this one you get 470 litres which is 35 litersless than the X1. However it’s still plenty big enough for all your luggageand remember if you want a more practical car there’s always the X1. Now let’s go for a drive shall we?So let’s talk about performance first. The car we are driving is an xDrive20dThe 2. 0 litre turbodiesel making 190 hp and 400 Nm oftorque. There’s an 8-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels. With all that, 0-100is done in 7. 7 seconds and it’ll go all the way to 221 km/hIt also has a combined fuel consumption figure of between 4. 6 and4. 8 litres per 100 km. But what’s it like in thereal world? Not too bad actually. There’s a little bit of turbo lag when you’regoing down low, when it gets going it pulls cleaning all the way to theredline. Being a typical BMW turbodiesel that’s a little bit of rattle at idle, but once youget going it’s smooth and quiet. However there’s quite a lot of roadnoise and wind noise at speed so it’s not exactly the most refined car out thereWe won’t be getting this engine however. Instead we’re getting the sDrive20iwhich uses a 2. 0 litre turbo petrol engine making 192 hp and 280 Nm oftorque driving the front wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmissionNow Malaysians are quite skeptical when it comes to double clutch transmissions tosay the least so we’ll have to try it out in Malaysia to see if it’s any goodMechanically the X2 rides on the same UKL platform as the X1 but with numerouschanges to make this a sportier car to drive. The body for example is 10%stiffer than the X1 and the springs dampers and anti-roll bars have beenadjusted to suit. BMW has also increased the front camber to reduce understeerThis car is also fitted with the M Sport suspension which is 10 mmlower than standard and it comes with pre-loaded bushings for bettercontrol of body movements. There’s also sports steering which has a quickerratio. Put all that together and the result is a car that really does feelquite sporty. Sure the steering may be lacking in feel but it’s quick accurateit allows you to place it exactly where you want it to be. And despite thetall ride height being that this is a crossover, there’s very little body roll, andowing to the fact that this is a four-wheel drive car, there’s very little understeerOne thing I have to say is that the ride is fairly firm. It’s not uncomfortable butyou do feel the bumps on the road even on these fairly smooth Portuguese roadsWe’ll have to try them on our pockmarked Malaysian roads to see how itfares over our potholes. So there you have it, the BMW X2. It’s certainly a capable carand while it does have a few niggles here and there that’s not such a badthing on a niche vehicle. What do you think of the looks, the specs andespecially the price? Leave your thoughts in the comment section. I’m Jonathan Lee frompaultan. org signing off, thanks for watching.
source https://cardetailingphoenix.com/index.php/2018/09/30/first-drive-f39-bmw-x2-malaysian-review-rm320k-3/
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