Almost a year after production of its predecessor ended and camouflaged prototypes began popping up on the street of Munich, the wraps have finally come off the 2024 BMW X2.
Bigger in every dimension, the remade “crossover coupe” bears a much closer resemblance to its X4 and X6 big brothers than the old model but the remake is more than skin deep. The 2024 X2 packs more power, regains its hot M35i variation and heralds a major tech upgrade with the debut of iDrive 9, the latest iteration of the automaker’s infotainment software.
As in its previous generation, the new X2 is heavily based on the X1, itself redesigned last year. Both will continue to be assembled on the same line in Regensburg, Germany and both will now offer all-electric versions, though there aren’t any plans to bring those stateside. Since the pair are such close kin, the 2024 X1 will also get iDrive 9, but in terms of visual personality and livability, the new X2 is a complete break from the past.
In Your Face On Purpose
BMW’s “sports activity coupe” lineup traces its origin to the 2008 debut of the original X6, and as small premium SUVs have proliferated in the years since, so have more variations on the theme. The original X4 (a coupe-ized X3) bowed in 2015 and the X1-based X2 arrived in 2018, but for years, one of the things was not like the others.
While the automaker managed to sell more than 380,000 first-generation X2s worldwide, it always looked a little more like a tall hatchback than an aggressive performance SUV. This perception was not helped by its small size and faint resemblance to the 2 Series Gran Coupe. No longer. Gone is the pert, wedge-like but traditional SUV shape, replaced with a long tapering fastback roof. At 7.6 inches longer, 2.5 inches taller and 0.8 inches wider, riding wider tracks and bigger wheels, the new X2 looks a whole lot more substantial, too.
Although BMW hasn’t offered interior measurements yet, it seems likely that the higher roofline and 0.9-inch longer wheelbase will also yield a roomier interior. BMW did offer cargo numbers, and the area behind the rear seats grows from 21.6 cubic-feet to 25.3, though overall volume only rises from 50.1 to 51.7. Considering the added length, that’s not super impressive, but it’s a nice change among crossover coupes, where space is secondary to style.
And it does have style, though it’s distinctly of the love-it-or-hate-it variety. The altered proportions make it look very much like a scaled-down X4, and indeed, at 179.8 inches long, it’s just 7.8 inches shy of that much pricier machine. It’s also a whole lot more aggressive looking, with its giant, seemingly XM-inspired grilles, fat exhaust tips, Gurney flap spoiler and agglomeration of trapezoidal shapes, front and rear.
Note, internet fanboys, BMW knows what its customers want and they don’t care if you don’t like the big grilles. They’d rather be polarizing than boring, and mission accomplished.
iDrive 9 & Other Upgrades
Inside, the 2024 X2 shares much of the X1’s classy, glassy cabin, including the automaker’s “Curved Display,” which melds a 10.3-inch driver’s display and a 10.7-inch infotainment unit into a single housing. But the software running on that display is major news. iDrive 8 is only a couple of years old, but BMW is already on to a whole different version, iDrive 9.
iDrive 9 is a completely different system than its predecessor, and it runs on Android OS instead of Linux, which the company says will improve lots of integrations and make updating the system easier. It’s over-the-air-update capable, and the SUV has its own 5G antenna system. The new software also allows Apple CarPlay and Android Auto apps onto the instrument cluster and the optional head-up display.
iDrive 8 already had a very helpful digital assistant, and BMW says that version 9 is meant to be even more intuitive and responsive to natural language. We’ll reserve judgment until we try it, but it’s bound to be better than what came before. The old X2 used the comparatively ancient iDrive 6, with no Android Auto capability and displays that looked a bit dated even in 2018.
In addition to the new software, there’s also just more gear. Navigation and ambient lighting are standard, there’s an interior camera that can be used to capture “special moments” or thieves (or both!) depending on the situation, and BMW’s Digital Key Plus system, which allows locking, unlocking and remote monitoring via iOS and Android devices (even Apple Watches) is now optional, along with lots of subscription entertainment services.
Two Trims: xDrive28i & M35i xDrive
Like last year’s X1, the new X2 gets more power than its predecessor, but that’s hardly a surprise since they share the same turbocharged 2.0-liter powertrains, both with standard all-wheel drive. The old front-wheel drive sDrive28i model is gone, but after an 18-month-or-so hiatus, the punchy X2 M35i xDrive has returned.
The standard version will be the X2 xDrive28i, packing 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It’ll weigh about 50 pounds more than the comparable X1, so performance should be similarly spritely, and certainly a little more entertaining than rivals like the Lexus UX or Volvo XC40.
The M35i is the heavy-hitter though, with 312 hp but an identical torque rating to the 28i. BMW says it will shave a full second off of zero-to-60 times, quoting 6.2 seconds for the 28i and 5.2 for the M35i. Both use the same seven-speed dual-cutch automatic transmission, but the M35i gets bigger brakes, suspension tweaks and 20-inch rims on run flat tires.
Of course there are all the usual suspects on the options lists. Eleven exterior colors (almost all of which will be extra cost), a panoramic sunroof, many 19- to 20-inch wheel options, an M-Sport adaptive suspension, a Shadowline blackout package, an M-Sport package for augmenting and dressing up the xDrive28i and much more.
BMW will still make the best driver-assist gear optional, but several formerly optional active-safety systems are now standard, including automatic braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot detection and exit warnings. The full suite, labeled as the Driving Assistance Professional Package, includes adaptive cruise with stop and go, lane keeping, evasion aid, traffic jam assistant and front cross-traffic alerts. Pricing won’t be revealed until later this year, but the same package costs $1,700 on the 2024 X1 M35i xDrive.
2024 BMW X2: When and How Much?
Exact pricing is still to come, but in the past, the smaller X2 was less costly than the X1. This might not be the case anymore since the model has markedly matured, and if the difference between the X3 and X4 is any indication, it seems likely that the starting price would be $42,000 or more. The 2024 X1 xDrive28i starts at $41,495 including destination while the X1 M35i (new for ‘24) rings in at $50,895. The X2 M35i could be even more, and we’ll update this space when we know.
We do know that production will commence in November and that vehicles should start hitting dealer lots in March 2024.