BMW sticks to X family values with new X4

By Jaco Van Der Merwe

I remember the days potential BMW owners in South Africa had it easy.

It came down to a simple choice between a 3, a 5 or a 7 series with a single M badge setting the standard in each segment.

As time went on the Germans have filled all the gaps for a full set of numbers from one to seven, even adding an eight for their top electric offering.

And on top of this they added an impressive set of Xs and started offering a variety of options to own at least a piece of the performance M badge.

But as true blue “Bee-M” fanatics are getting more spoilt for choice every time another new model rolls out of Bavaria, the alphabet soup is getting more confusing for ordinary car owners who are not as jacked up with the latest happenings in the world of automobiles.

I’ll leave deciphering the numerical side of their stable for another day and focus only on the X collection for now, in particular the all-new X4 which was introduced to the local media in KwaZulu-Natal over the course of September.

The X family was founded in the late 1990s with the birth of the X5, which is a large premium Sports Utility Vehicle, or SUV for short.

The popular X3 followed a few years later, which is their offering in the premium small or baby SUV segment. The X6 became the next sibling and was branded a Sports Activity Coupé or SAC.

I’m pretty sure a lot of people will wonder where a SAC fits into the puzzle.

The concept is quite simple actually, as the idea is to combine the attributes of an SUV such as high ground clearance, all-wheel drive and large sporty rims with coupé styling which featuring a sloping roof.

I won’t blame you for asking: but is that not a Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV)? Actually not, because a CUV is supposed to be a mix between a SUV and a passenger car, where the SAC uses coupé styling instead.

For their CUV offering, BMW introduced the X1.

Following in the footsteps of the larger X6, BMW next launched the X4, basically a smaller version of its older sibling.

Things got slightly more technical with the launch of the X2 recently as this is basically a smaller crossover version of the X1, but it could also be described as an even smaller X4.

Across the entire X family, BMW states that over 5.6 million vehicles have found new owners across the globe since 1999 and since the launch of the first-generation X4 in 2014, over 200 000 units of what claims to be the first mid-range premium SAC offering has left the assembly line in South Carolina in the United States.

The immediate line-up of the second-generation X4 in Mzansi will include two petrol models, the xDrive20i and M40i, and a solitary diesel offering in the xDrive20d.

A performance diesel model – the M40d – is also promised to hit the local market in the first quarter of next year.

Both entry levels will also be available in the M Sport or M Sport X options to allow the owner to personalise the car.

According to BMW SA’s manager: group communications Edward Makwana, they’ve done away with mid-range models as history has shown the biggest interest lies in either the entry model or the M performance models.

With only three specimens of the M40i on offer during last week’s launch day in KZN, those three keys were highly sought-after property among the members of the media, with my two-man team fortunate enough to secure the bragging rights for one of the two drives.

The morning session included a 200km trip from Umhlanga, heading south, turning inland and reaching Pietermaritzburg from the southwest and finishing at the luxurious Karkloof Safari Spa.

The 160km trip back in the afternoon took us northeast past Tongaat and south to Umhlanga. The route included a good mix of inner city roads, highways, main routes, smaller by-ways and gravel roads.

I’m not going to go into highly technical detail over how the xDrive 20d and M40i performed, as it is virtually impossible to compare the two, given the vast differences between the two segments of our route.

In short, they behaved exactly as you would expect anything carrying those lofty price tags should.

The diesel is not exactly a rocket, but then again you’re not going to buy it to set lap records.

Neither would you buy the xDrive20i for those purposes.

The two entry-level models, nonetheless, offer a great gateway to a good product with a true Bavarian-style pedigree and the X family flowing strongly through their veins.

The X4 features a few distinctive cosmetic tweaks from its predecessor and very sexy 19-inch alloy rims, while the interior is every bit as luxurious – or “premium ambience”, as BMW calls it – as you would expect.

From the elegant leather seats, the voice and gesture-activated infotainment screen, the Harman Kardon sound system through to the magnificent computerised instrument display.

There are also heaps of additional features like state-of-theart driver assistance systems and leading-edge connectivity technologies.

While the entry-level petrol and diesel offerings produce 135kW and 140kW respectively via a standard eight-speed Steptronic gearbox, the 265kW on offer through the M40i’s six-cylinder petrol engine is a massive upgrade.

With large parts of our outing through the country featuring endless speed bumps, pedestrians, weathered bakkies, the usual erratic minibus taxis, every second car towing a trailer with a cow, and heaps of sugar cane barks lying in the road, acceleration in short bursts were the order of the day.

The three driving modes to choose from are offer Eco, Comfortable and Sport.

While the balanced Comfortable mode has been adequate to overtake the slow-moving overloaded trucks with all that power underneath the bonnet, the temptation to activate Sport mode – and the fact that the petrol was on the house – was just too great to resist.

When this happens, the X4 puts on its game face and reminds the driver exactly why he loves the car in the first place.

It’s a transformation of all sorts.

The instrument display changes into a glowing red in the mould of an angry emoji, the car drops a gear, the rev counter flares up and the engine unleashes its tremendous roar.

That experience alone is worth forking out the extra cash for this model in my book.

Although Makwana is adamant that the run-flat tyres and the emergency puncture kit is enough peace of mind to make up for the lack of a spare wheel, you can’t help to take safety concerns into consideration with every prospect of a nasty pothole seriously damaging a rim and the possibility being left stranded in a dodgy area.

That, and a limited view through the rear view window are the only slight irritations that came to mind navigating this magnificent beast through rural KZN.

But, with the advanced parking assistance offered, you’re covered just fine.

All in all, odds are that BMW should continue their success story with this new-look sleek sibling of their X family.

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