Bucket Seat: BMW X2 2.0i

We've spoke about how the whole crossover/ SUV trend is picking up in the motoring market with consumers finding a liking to these raised vehicles. We're not quite sure what sparked the trend but can certainly see what people are opting for these sort of vehicles. Being bigger, they're more spacious than sedans, offering the occupants more room and comfort, I also find with the slightly raised ride height, it gives the driver a better perspective when driving. But as the trend goes, and the market becomes appealing to everyone, manufacturers have to adjust to the demand, not everyone can afford the bigger SUV/ SAV derivatives or while they might one one, they want something a bit more sportier, athletic and versatile, hence BMW came up with the SAC, sports activity coupe. They have in their range the X6 and the X4 but recently introduced the first ever X2 which I got drive around for a bit. While it still falls under the crossover segment, it definitely didn't feel like it as I will explain. 

DESIGN

BMW went with a different approach to designing the X2, it's effectively the more sportier model of the X1 so to get it to appeal to a younger market they've made some daring decisions to the design that had a lot of people talking. Firstly, lets talk about that badge on the side. Personally I don't see a problem with it, it looks quite good and it pays homage to the the CS as it also had the badge in a similar sort of position. Out of curiosity I ran a poll on my Instagram and to my surprise the votes were almost split with people who liked it edging out those who didn't. Other than that the car looks quite attractive to many, I love the edginess, the bi-tone outlines and the sleek sweep effect it has. It almost looks like a hot hatch and has a playfulness demeanor about it. The lights are pretty cool, I'm especially fond of the rear lights which are angled ever so slightly and follows the contours of the body.  The X2 I had came with the M Sport X kit which just adds to the aggression factor and had 5 spoke bi-colour rims. The tail of the car is finished off with the same sporty aggression that transcends from the whole car with tail pipes fitted either side. Overall, a very unique but lovely package from the Germans. 

PERFORMANCE

While I had this car on test, BMW lifted the covers of their range topping M35i X2 which features their most powerful 4 cylinder motor. The 2.0i I had wasn't too shabby either, quick off the blocks even for a chunkier car and what impressed me to the most was the fuel consumption. While we know the figures we see in brochures are done in ideal environments, I was getting quite close to the 6L per 100km as quoted by BMW. the engine produces 141kW with 280Nm of torque which is hot hatch territory. The car handles well, it has good road presence and even with the large rims, give a pretty comfy ride whether it be driving around the burbs or open road driving. 

TECH

The X2 has a similar option list to most of the other BMW's but with it being a basic X1 fit on the inside, there is some limitations. While it does feature the new BMW menu tile configuration I don't think you can add gesture control to the car. Regardless the car I had came with some decent features. Reverse camera with rear front and rear PDC's, HiFi loud speaker system, interior mood lighting with a variety of colours, professional navigation and bluetooth connectivity with Apple Car Play. Still annoys me that BMW hasn't launch the Android Auto App for their cars yet and only certain models offer the Android screen mirror option. The X2 I had came with the LED lights but no high beam assist. 

VERDICT

While judgement on the looks of the car may still be split, I quite like it, its bold, in your face, has that rugged adventure style to it which BMW was going for. The car drives well, it's pretty comfortable for the drive and its passengers. Lots of boot space and light on fuel. The price tag may be a stinger but the quality of product you getting is worth every cent of it. I honestly can see myself driving in an X2 as an every day car. While it slots into that SAC/ crossover segment, it can also do some light off roading and by that I mean gravel roads, lets not try and take it up Sani Pass or anything. The tag line for the X2 is "Be the one who dares" and its evident in the styling, the colour range the overall appeal of the car, and from the few I see on the road so far, it seems there are people who are taking the challenge to be daring. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	2.0L TwinPower Turbo 4cy
Gear Box	8 Speed Automatic
Power	141kW
Torque	280Nm
0-100	7.7 seconds
Economy	6.0 L/100km
Price	R 577 903*

*base price

  

Bucket Seat: 2017 BMW X3

When the BMW X3 was first launched back in 2003, it was a bit of a misfit for many, at the time the need for a mid sized SUV, wasn't that popular simply because there was very little that the market offered. But then people slowly started warming to the idea and actually began appreciating what the X3 was and realised it was more of a SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) and since the demand for this sort of vehicle has grown in leaps and bounds with many manufacturers taking to it and offering models of their own. 

This week BMW lifted the covers of their new X3 which is due to hit local shores by November this year, albeit not a very close kept secret as leaked images hit the internet a few hours before the live launch. I think BMW need to invest in better security but I suppose it creates hype for their product in it's own way. Getting back to the car, design wise, BMW have continued with the trend set by the 7 Series with hexagonal lights with sharp edges, bring in the X line, the iconic kidney grilles are large and prominent on the front and below finishing of the front end is a mean diffuser with LED fog lamps and large air intakes. 

The rest of the car is sculpted very similar to that of the smaller X1 and bigger X5 with it rounded of at the rear with larger tail lights that look quite cool with the inner LED pattern. The new X3 will be made available in three packages, the base xLine, Luxury Line and M Sport package. As customer preferences go, its obvious that the M Sport package would be the favourite for the lot, but for me I'm liking the Luxury line, with its chrome finishing and the multi-spoke rims and interior trimmings of dark oak wood and light leather seats options. 

Speaking of the interior, as per the exterior design, a lot of the elements from the 7 series can be found inside, most notably the previous in-dash infotainment screen now protrudes from the dash and is a large 10.2-inch touchscreen display with the added option for gesture control. Also offered as an optional extra in the interior is a 12.3-inch instrument  cluster and a full-colour heads up display. Storage areas in the cabin have increased in size and with the ergonomic design, general space in the cabin has increased for the passengers. 

 Seeing that the X3 is derived directly from it's sedan counter-part, the 3 Series, I expect this SAV to do quite well when it goes on sale later this year. What makes this new X3 even more special is that from April next year, it will be built and made in South Africa at BMW's Rosslyn plant which will stop production of the 3 Series and begin manufacturing of the new X3. It's a bitter-sweet moment for BMW SA as the 3 Series has been so long synonymous with the Rosslyn plant but as I said in the beginning, SAV's are becoming more and more the sort after vehicle for the consumer, be it a secondary car, a moms car or a general all rounder, more often than not you will find one in the garage of every 3rd or 4th house hold in a street.