2024 BMW X2 review

BMW X2 Cons

We've been waiting a while for this, and it's almost here.

The new, second-generation BMW X2 is bit of a departure from the first iteration. Stylistically this car now more closely aligns with the German carmaker's current convention of having 'coupe' SUV versions of its regular SUVs.

With this in mind, think of the new X2 more like a stylish and rakish version of the X1. It's a very similar story with the BMW X3 and X4, as well as the X5 and X6.

Ahead of the new BMW X2's local launch in later in the first quarter of 2024, we had the opportunity to sample the flagship X2 M35i xDrive in Portugal.

Does this car do enough to draw your attention in the hotly contented small premium SUV segment? Read along to find out.

2024 BMW X2 pricing:

Prices are before on-road costs

To see how the BMW X2 compares with its rivals, check out our comparison tool.

Walking up to the BMW X2 M35i there's a really clear sense of presence.

Like a number of new BMW models it has an illuminated double kidney grille. This is one of the few ways to distinguish this rakish 'coupe' SUV from the related X1 at the front.

The vehicle we tested in Portugal was also finished in the delicious-looking Frozen Tampa Bay Green which isn't technically offered in Australia. You're able to special order it however if you ask very nicely and are well connected.

Hopping into the X2 is really easy as the car has a raised hip point that's common among a number of crossovers.

Once you're inside there are a set of really cool-looking sport bucket seats that are part of the no-cost optional M Sport Package Pro package in Australia. They're finished in black Veganza faux leather and Alcantara with blue contrast stitching.

They offer electric adjustment which allows you to dial in your perfect seating position. There's also plenty of thigh adjustment that helps make taller people feel supported in the seat.

Both the front seats are very comfortable and make you feel like you're hugged in just the right amount. The coffin-like headrest does protrude a bit but you get used to it. The front seats also offer heating which is handy on cool mornings, especially in wintery Portugal.

Ahead of the driver is a properly thick steering wheel. It's almost too thick to hold on to for long periods of time. Like the front seats it's also heated.

All the buttons and scroll wheels have a satisfying and click action when interacted with. I do wish there was a scroll wheel to do the volume rather than having to spam click buttons though.

Behind the steering wheel are a set of massive paddle shifters. They're quite a joy to use, and if you press and hold the downshift paddle it unlocks a super cool 'Boost' function. It doesn't actually unlock any additional power but makes everything as fiery as it can.

As standard the X2 M35i receives a 10.7-inch digital instrument cluster that's clear and easy to read. There are a bunch of configuration options to choose from, as well as different looks depending on the drive mode.

The aforementioned 'Boost' mode brings up a cool countdown on the digital instrument cluster to show how long you have left.

There's also a big and bright head-up display that's projected onto the windscreen from the dash. It shows plenty of information, though polarised sunglasses can make it look a bit funny.

In the same wraparound housing as the digital instrument cluster there's a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system that runs the iDrive 9.0 operating system. It's a little bit overwhelming to navigate at first as there are so many pages and menus, but after a while it starts to make sense.

Like the related BMW X1, the X2 doesn't have a proper iDrive controller to interact with the infotainment system. There are only touch inputs instead, which isn't the end of the world as you don't have to stretch too far to reach the touchscreen.

Despite this there were a few moments where the touchscreen lagged. This was most noticeable when first starting up the car and opening apps. Once the particular app was open however it was quite snappy.

As standard there are wireless forms of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. During our brief time with our tester we didn't actually test this out, though in the related X1 it works fine.

Looking around the cabin there are plenty of soft-touch materials. One of the most interesting of the soft touches is the Alcantara section on the dashboard. It's very soft and feels premium.

There aren't very many harder plastics inside the cabin, though if you do reach down further you will find them.

Sitting proudly at the front of the centre console is a cool-looking wireless phone charger that appears to be pretty large but can only support one phone at a time. It also has a handy bar to hold in your phone on the charger.

Like a growing number of BMW models, the X2 M35i has a small shift-by-wire gear selector. It's quite cute to use but can be confusing at first where to select park – you need to click the park brake button to activate it.

There's a small centre console area that in left-hand drive markets opens sideways to face the driver.

It's only a tiny storage space, though there is a considerably larger open storage space underneath for handbags and the like.

Last thing to mention for hopping to the second row is the 12-speaker Harman/Kardon premium sound system in the X2 M35i slaps. It has some solid bass while also producing clean high notes.

Space on offer in the second row is a little more generous than I first anticipated given it's a coupe SUV with a rakish roofline. There's enough legroom and headroom is fine, though if you lean back it can get a little compromised for taller adults.

Two adults will be fine in the second row for the majority of trips, but fitting three will be quite a squeeze. There's a pronounced transmission hump and the centre console protrudes into the space a bit.

It's worth noting the centre seatbelt in the second row is roof-mounted, which can be a pain to first set up and then blocks part of the view out the rear window.

In terms of second-row amenities there are centre console-mounted air vents, USB-C ports, and a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders.

Moving around the back the X2 M35i has a power tailgate. Once the boot is open there's more space on offer than I thought.

BMW quotes an official boot capacity figure of 560 litres, which is a lot, especially for a coupe SUV. There's also a small storage space underneath the main boot compartment, though this comes at the expense of a spare tyre.

This is really something to take into consideration if you are planning to travel in rural and regional areas away from tyre repair centres.

To see how the BMW X2 compares with its rivals, check out our comparison tool.

It's worth noting we only experienced the new BMW X2 M35i briefly as part of the international media launch in Portugal.

Our prescribed drive loop consisted of around 90km of Portuguese highways, as well as urban and rural roads. There was also a bit of dynamic driving to see what the car is capable of.

We'll have to wait until mid-year to see how the X2 M35i is properly like on Australian soil.

Starting up the car sees the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine roar to life. Initially the idle can be a little gruff but that's quite thrilling. The idle calms down once the engine has warmed up a bit.

From standstill the X2 M35i has heaps of power. You'll easily be keeping up with traffic from the lights, or pulling ahead.

European X2 M35i models as sampled here produce 221kW of power, whereas Australian-market models will receive a zestier 233kW.

In addition to the wealth of power, there's the confidence that comes with all-wheel drive grip. While the last one was also all-wheel drive, it felt a little too front-biased.

In the normal drive mode there's a touch of lag that comes from the dual-clutch and turbo, but this is likely to smooth out the driving experience. It's rather natural and intuitive.

Sport mode stiffens things up, including the steering, acclerator response, gear changes, as well as the adaptive M suspension.

If you're feeling properly wild there's a 'Boost' mode that can be activated by holding the down paddle shifter for a second or two. Once this is activated you better hold on.

Although 'Boost' mode doesn't unlock any additional power, it maximises the engine and transmission to make sure you're given all they can provide.

Inside the cabin there are exhaust pops and crackles, though I'm 99 per cent sure the majority of these are synthesised. There are also noticeable jolts between gear changes which adds to the visceral experience.

Around town the X2 M35i is really easy to manoeuvre. It has light steering in its normal driving mode, though this does stiffen up if you opt for a sportier drive mode.

As standard there are front and rear parking sensors, as well as a surround-view camera. Other nifty functions include a parking assistant and a reversing assistant.

At low speeds the X2 M35i's adaptive suspension is definitely on the firmer side but is never uncomfortable. It balances that act perfectly.

Building up speed is really easy to do in this car. You need to be careful when accelerating along a highway because if you're not paying attention to the speedometer the speed limit will creep up sooner than you think.

It's also incredibly easy to slap back a few gears by using the enlarged paddle shifters and go for it. In fact the car feels like it encourages driving more dynamically.

Speaking of, dynamic driving in the X2 M35i is incredibly fun and enjoyable. There's a touch of body roll which is inherent with slightly higher-sitting crossovers, though in turn this helps make you feel in command.

Rearward visibility is one this car's downfalls. Due to the sloping rear window, there's a really small envelope for the driver to see through. There are also large C-pillars.

An interesting quirk about this vehicle is there's no rear wiper. I assume BMW thinks the rear window will clean itself with the wind as you're driving, but in reality it doesn't quite work this way.

At higher speeds the X2 M35i calms down and finds its groove. The adaptive suspension irons out the majority of harsher bumps and imperfections on Portuguese highways.

On the safety front, the adaptive cruise control system works fantastically. It's one of the better systems I've experienced to date as it naturally reacts to cars pulling into your lane.

The lane-keep assist isn't too intrusive, whereas the lane-centring function is fantastic. The latter of these systems is best left for clearly marked highways and freeways.

When you have the lane-centring function switched on as well you can do assisted lane changes, which is a handy feature. I found they were a little rough and preferred to do them myself though.

The last safety feature I want to mention in this section is the speed limit assist function that was present in our European-specification tester.

When you travelled 2-3km/h over the posted speed limit a chime would play. Although this chime wasn't as obnoxious as the likes of Hyundai's and Kia's, it would default to on everytime you switch on the car.

In Europe there is currently a mandate to have intelligent speed limit assist features on new models sold in the region. It's not currently mandated in Australia.

X2 xDrive20i highlights:

X2 M35i xDrive adds:

M Sport Package Pro: $4900 (xDrive20i), $NCO (M35i)

M Compound brakes: $2000 (M35i)

BMW Individual metallic paintwork: $5000

The new-generation BMW X2 range hasn't been crash-tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP yet.

For reference, petrol-powered versions of the related BMW X1 are covered by a 2022-stamped five-star ANCAP and Euro NCAP rating.

This rating is based on category scores of 86 per cent for adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection, 76 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 94 per cent for safety assist.

Preliminary safety equipment includes:

BMW Australia covers its line-up with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre new vehicle warranty.

BMW offers a five-year/100,000km Service Inclusive package for the X2 that costs $3171.

The BMW X2 M35i is a properly exciting vehicle that has taken leaps and bounds compared to its predecessor. It has a wealth of standard equipment and plenty of showroom appeal both inside and out.

One of my favourite parts of our European tester as part of the international media launch in Portugal was that the car was painted in Frozen Tampa Bay Green. It's a fantastic colour and I wish it was available without a special order in Australia.

Something that's hard to look past in the X2 is its rear end. The rakish coupe-like boot line now suits the rest of BMW's 'coupe' SUVs, but that means you miss out on a bit of second-row headroom and a squarer boot space.

With this in mind I would be personally looking at the related X1 instead which has a more traditional wagon-style SUV shape.

It's also available in the hot M35i guise so you won't be missing out on any power while saving a bit of money.

MORE: Buy a BMW X2 MORE: Everything BMW X2

Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au