What's all this about?

It's the all-new BMW X4, now into its second-generation. The Mk1 didn't get a full run at things, only arriving in 2014 (about midway through the second-gen X3's lifespan, upon which the X4 was obviously based) - but still, BMW managed to shift more than 200,000 of the things globally in just three years on sale, so a second one was inevitable. Like its predecessor, the X4 Mk2 is based on its Mk3 X3 stablemate and so the two vehicles have much in common.

Such as?

Well, they pretty much look the same - right up to the A-pillars and windscreen. Then you cannot fail to notice that the X4 sacrifices some rear headroom in favour of a more rakish roofline, plus a sloping rear and sportier stance. You, um, you also might not have failed to notice that it looks a LOT like its chief rival, the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, at the rear. Yes, slim 3D LED light clusters and a smoothed-off boot give the X4 a very GLC-like appearance, although we will say BMW's whole design effort on the X4 is pretty good. It's a handsome enough thing.

Are there any changes in size?

Yes, the new X4 is bigger - 81mm longer, with a wheelbase stretched by 54mm as a result, and 37mm wider. That last figure means it has a broader track than the old X4, while BMW also says it is lighter by up to 50kg, has a lower centre-of-gravity and it cleaves through the air more efficiently with a 0.30 coefficient of drag figure. Put all this together, the company reckons, and it makes the new X4 much more fun to drive. Furthermore, all models will get bi-LED headlights as standard with the full LED 'Icon' lamps offered as an option, while technologies from the X3 - such as an acoustic windscreen and active air flaps - will be incorporated. There are five new colours for the X4's swoopy bodywork (which are Phytonic Blue, Terra Brown, Sparkling Storm, Flamingo Red and Sunstone metallic), while the alloys wheels will be anything from 18- to 21 inches in diameter. All X4s will get an automatic tailgate and twin, spaced exhausts as standard.

What about within?

The X4 remains a five-seater, despite that lower roof, and the boot is larger on the new model compared to the old, growing 25 litres to a peak figure of 525 litres with all seats in place - you can enlarge the BMW's cargo capacity by folding down the standard-fit 40:20:40-split rear-seat backs using some natty boot-mounted levers, if you so wish. As it has been rolled out in nearly every other model line in the company so far, the touchscreen/gesture-controlled 10.25-inch iDrive system is employed in the X4's cabin, while there's also a 12-inch digital instrument cluster with a black panel design. The door bins in the front are said to be able to take one-litre bottles and options include a head-up display, three-zone climate control, Ambient Air and a Sensatec faux-leather upper dashboard finish. BMW also says that the X4 will feature 'state-of-the-art' driving assistance systems to keep owners as safe as possible out on the roads.

OK, so does the X4 use all of the X3's drivetrains?

Yes, but there's a slightly different array available at launch, when compared to the Mk3 X3's original drivetrains. BMW cites six motors at first (technically, five plus the M40i a few months later), with a seventh, '30d'-badged diesel model joining in the third quarter of 2018; this latter vehicle has a 3.0-litre straight-six turbodiesel rated at 265hp and 620Nm, and it is a powerplant already available in the X3. But let's stick to the 'super six' that we've been given the full rundown on.

Please do - where do we start?

There are three petrol and three diesel options, split into a quartet of 'regular' X4 models with a variety of four-cylinder engines, and then two M Performance derivatives that feature six-pot power. No matter how many pistons are in the engine, every X4 Mk2 will be 'xDrive' all-wheel drive and fitted with an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission. Kicking things off is the 2.0-litre, turbo petrol X4 xDrive20i (184hp, 290Nm, 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds, 134mph, 39.8mpg and 163g/km CO₂); while this same engine delivers more oomph in the X4 xDrive30i (252hp, 350Nm, 6.3 seconds, 149mph, 39.2mpg and 164g/km). The diesels are both 2.0-litre units, too, but the X4 xDrive20d (190hp, 400Nm, 8.0 seconds, 132mph, 52.3mpg and 142g/km) has just one turbo, while the X4 xDrive25d (231hp, 500Nm, 6.8 seconds, 143mph, 51.4mpg and 145g/km) has a brace of sequential turbos.

So what do the M Performance derivatives put out?

The X4 M40i is the same engine as seen in the X3 M40i - a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six with 360hp and 500Nm. That leads to a 4.8-second 0-62mph sprint and the de rigueur 155mph electronically limited maximum speed, with eco-stats of 31.4mpg and 209g/km CO₂. But the 'new' engine is of immense interest - it's the X4 M40d, a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo, six-cylinder powerplant that delivers 326hp and a gigantic 680Nm of torque. It's therefore hardly any slower than the M40i, running 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and limited to the same 155mph maximum, but it can apparently return as high as 44.1mpg with just 170g/km CO₂. Expect this M40d engine to turn up in the X3 range, before too long...

And when will all these X4s go on sale?

Following a Geneva Motor Show debut next month, the BMW X4 order books will open and first cars should hit the road in summer.

Matt Robinson - 14 Feb 2018