Nearly 20 years after the SUV craze got started, automakers are still churning out the oversized station wagons like the U.S. Mint prints dollar bills. BMW->ke178 fans thought the world was collapsing when the X5 rolled off the assembly line in 2000, but nowadays, the Bavarian company has more SUV models than it’s ever had, with yet another on the way.

Set to debut at the New York Auto Show->ke226 April 16, the 2015 BMW X4->ke2999 is the company’s latest iteration of the ‘Sport Activity Coupe’ design, following the larger X6. On sale since 2008, the X6 has sold 250,000 units to date worldwide. That’s not a tremendous number, but still enough to justify the addition of a second and smaller Sport Activity Coupe, at least in BMW's eyes.

The X4 is reminiscent of the Gran Turismo version of the 3 and 5-Series sedans, but with a larger front grille, taller ride height, and a capable all-wheel-drive system allowing it to traverse terrain otherwise impassable in a standard-height sedan. The combination of AWD and higher ground clearance plus the sporty handling of a 3-Series affords the X4 the ability to bridge the gap between vehicles, allowing customers to have a vehicle that both drives like a car while performing in adverse weather conditions like an SUV. Perhaps the X4 is the best of both worlds. But perhaps it gives up the best of those two worlds while being left with the scrappy leftovers – the unlikable trade-offs from each. Let take a closer look to find out.

Updated 06/26/2014: The new BMW X4 made its on-screen debut today when the first commercial aired. Enjoy!

Click past the jump to read more about the BMW X4.

2015 BMW X4

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 BMW X4
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 240
  • Torque: 260
  • Transmission: 8-speed Steptronic sport automatic
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Update History

Updated 04/04/2014: A leaked ordering guide reveals pretty much everything you wanted to know on the recently launched BMW X4. Check it out after the jump. (X4 Club)

Spy shots

February 20, 2014 - BMW X4 Begins Winter Testing

October 1, 2014 - First testing session

As you can see from these latest spy shots, the BMW X4 will look a lot like the X3, the model on that it is based on. Still, the X4 will adopt a coupe-like exterior and will be a little bit sportier and more aggressive.

Up front, the new X4 will get the usual BMW grille and front apron, while the headlights will feature the same design language we have seen in all the latest BMW models.

When viewed from the side it gets pretty clear that the X4 will be inspired by the X6, with the rear window raking downward into almost a liftback design.

Exterior

From the front, the X4 looks a lot like the X6 – big, bulky grilles everywhere with a chin sitting high of the ground and a long hood flowing into a slopped windshield. Especially out back, the X6’s heritage is noticeable. The roofline past the B-pillars is like no other SUV outside the BMW line-up. Strangely, the roofline works in my opinion, that is until the rear glass ends abruptly at the rear trunk. This area of the X4 - and even the X6 – has never seems to flow just right. This is where the SUV and car combination conflict the most.

In an oddly juxtaposed manner, the rear bumper comes adorned with black plastic cladding normally found on SUVs just inches away from a roof normally found on a 4-Series. It makes for odd bedfellows, but BMW makes it work. I’m constantly reminded that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and aesthetics are subjective.

Length

184.3 inches (4,680 mm)

Height

63.9 inches (1,624 mm)


Interior

The interior of the X4 looks much like its bigger X6 brother and any BMW fan will be at home here. The controls are familiar and the iDrive Controller and touchpad are standard fair. Unlike a few other BMWs the infotainment screen is built into the dashboard. The look flows much better than the ‘iPad hot-glued above the vents’ look.

The tri-spoke, thick-grip steering wheel with redundant controls are also standard BMW, along with the HVAC controls on the center stack. Two analog gauges in the instrument cluster are easy to read while other vehicle and safety information is displayed between them. Speaking of safety, the X4 is loaded with all the latest whiz-bang gadgetry designed to keep the rubber side down and shiny side up. The list includes Active Driving Assistant + Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go – BMW’s self-driving applications. Pedestrian and collision Warning with City Braking and Lane Departure are also include. Lastly Active Blind Sport Detection and rearview camera with Surround View are optional as well.

Yet another bit on gadgetry is BMW’s Parking Assistant, which, like a few other systems out there, steers the X4 into a parallel parking space while the driver only has to modulate the pedals. Helpful for those who struggled through drivers’ ed.

Drivetrain

Powering the X4 are two available engines: BMW’s twin-turbocharged, 2.0-liter I-4 making 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of toque, and the upmarket twin-turbo, 3.0-liter I-6 making a more respectable 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed Steptronic Sport automatic and the standard AWD system. Zero to 60 mph sprints are done in 6 seconds and 5.2 seconds for the respective engines.

Both engines feature direct injection with Double-Vanos variable camshaft control and Valvetronic – BMW’s fully variable valve timing system. Combined with the twin-turbocharging setup, both engines enjoy the high-revving freedom generally expected with BMW powerplants.

Helping match that sporty characteristics is BMW’s Dynamic Stability Control that directs power to the outside wheel during hard corners, therefore improving the SUV’s turn-in ability and control. The X4 is no one-wheel-wonder.

BMW X4 xDrive28i

BMW X4 xDrive35i

Type

2.0-liter four-cylinder

3.0-liter inline six

Horsepower

240 HP

300 HP @ 5,800 - 6,400 rpm

Torque

260 LBS-FT

300 LBS-FT @ 1,200–5,000 rpm

0 to 60 mph

6 seconds

5.2 seconds

Transmission

8-speed Steptronic sport automatic

8-speed Steptronic sport automatic


Prices

Like every other BMW model, the starting price represents only the beginning. A plethora of options and seeming limitless add-ons jack the price further beyond the base numbers.

Starting out a X4 XDrive28i starts at $45,625 while the six-cylinder version, the XDrive35i starts at $48,925. It if were my money, I’d drop the extra $3k for the inline six – an engine that epitomizes the perfection BMW has achieved with its powerplants.

Model

Price

BMW X4 xDrive28i

$45,625

BMW X4 xDrive35i

$48,925


Options

Metallic Paint

$550

Nevada Leather

$1,450

M Sport Package

$2,300

20" M Double Spoke wheels - style 310M with performance run-flat tires

$950

XLine package

$1,500

Cold Weather Package

$950

Driver Assistance Package

$700

Driver Assistance Plus

$1,900

Lighting Package

$1,900

Premium Package

$2,200

Technology Package

$3,150

Dynamic Damper Control

$1,000

19" light alloy Star Spoke wheels

$600

Heated front seats

$500

Navigation system

$2,150

Harman Kardon surround sound system

$875


Ordering Guide

Competitors

2014 Audi Q5

The Audi Q5 has been on since 2010 and it already became one of Audi's best-selling models, so the X4 will have an uphill battle to dethrone it. However, with the right design language, a perfect choice of accessories and a good price it may happen.

The Q5 is offered with a standard 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder that delivers 220 horsepower. Buyers can also opt for a more powerful, 3.0-liter. supercharged V-6 that makes 272 horsepower.

2015 Porsche Macan

One model that is set to arrive around the same time as the X4 is the Porsche Macan. It will arrive on the market in 2015 as the baby-brother of the larger Cayenne.

The new Macan will be offered with a four-cylinder engine with 220 horsepower, while the more powerful Macan S will get a 3.0-liter, V-6 engine with an output of 290 horsepower. Diesel fans will get a 2.0-liter, diesel engine with about 190 horsepower and a hybrid powertrain is also rumored.

Conclusion

Sure, the X4 isn’t the best looking vehicle on the road today -- not by a long shot -- but it does bridge that gap between car and SUV I alluded to earlier. Its choice of powertrains and long list of optional features means the X4 can be purchases as inexpensively or as ostentatiously as desired. Will the X4 set lap time records around the Nürburgring while blasting around corners at 140 mph? Absolutely not. Will it conquer the Rubicon Trail with easy, fording rivers, sliding over boulders, and powering through deep, muddy ruts? Again, absolutely not. But perhaps out of anything else built these days, the X4 somehow finds a happy median in between the sedan and SUV. It might not be the master of any one task, but it’s fair to call it the jack of all trades.