It still blows my mind that the first-gen BMW X2 was successful. It seemed like an answer to a problem nobody had. It wasn’t big enough to be more practical than a sedan but it didn’t drive well enough to be worth getting over the BMW X1. It just seemed like it lived in no-man’s land and had no real market. Apparently, though, I was wrong because it sold well enough to not only get a successor but also get an electric version. The latter of which can be seen doing some winter testing in these new spy photos. (We don’t own the spy photos but they can be seen here)
The biggest complaint about the BMW X2 was its design. It had a strange, frumpy, and overall confusing design that didn’t seem to resonate with many enthusiasts. And it seems BMW heard the complaints because the new one is radically different looking. Rather than looking like a dumpy hatchback, the next-gen BMW X2 will look more like a smaller X4. So it gets a more “SUV Coupe” design, in keeping with the rest of BMW’s SUV Coupe lineup.
This specific one is the BMW iX2, the upcoming all-electric model which will almost certainly be identical to the BMW iX1 under its coupe-ish skin. Despite not being exactly pretty, it looks quite a bit better than its predecessor and is sportier and more stylish looking than the iX1. If it can be a sportier driving version, it will be quite unique in the electric crossover segment. Especially since BMW will essentially have two different flavors of the same thing; the iX1 and iX2. Customers will be able to just pick the sporty or more practical version of the same car.
When the BMW iX2 debuts it will have the same powertrain as the iX1. So expect a dual-motor setup with 308 horsepower and 364 lb-ft of torque. And a 64.7 kWh (available) battery pack should provide around 230 miles of range. If BMW can price it properly, the iX2 can be a very successful car for the brand. Unfortunately, the iX1 is a bit too pricey, so it’s likely the iX2 will be as well. It’s tough to look at small, premium, electric cars with under 250 miles of range as good value when they’re priced higher than larger, more premium, better driving gas-powered cars, like the BMW X3. Hopefully the price of the iX1 and iX2 becomes more reasonable in the coming years.
[Source: Motor1] [Images: https://www.instagram.com/wilcoblok/ and https://www.instagram.com/joelre98]
