The BMW X4 is the sporty version of the X3, but it could have had a more special driving experience to be properly different.
When it comes to SUVs with a sporty flair, BMW has quite a number of models to choose from such as the X2, X4 and X6.
As their numbers indicate on the badges, these sleek-looking vehicles have been spun off from utility-oriented packages including the X1, X3 and X5 accordingly.
Which is probably why there can’t be any conundrum when picking any one of BMW’s recreational offerings: pick your size depending on what you need and how your budget looks like.
The latest one to hit the Thai market in all-new form is the X4, just about a year after its X3 donor car has been renewed.
Both are equipped with the brand’s ubiquitous 2.0-litre diesel-turbo and eight-speed automatic.
As both are SUVs with some muddy intentions, they additionally come with all-wheel drive.
When specced with M Sport trim, there’s a 200k price difference between the two with the X4 asking for 3.969 million baht in imported form.
Sure, the gap will soon widen when a Thai-built version of the X3 is due in a matter of weeks.
But as the previous-gen X4 was also bolted in the country, this new one may also eventually become cheaper in the future.
So, do you get anything in return for the X4’s price premium?
Well, if looking at a broad perspective, punters are paying the price just to look more stylish in the X4.
Like what separates the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe from the regularly badged GLC model, the X4 is distinguished from the X3 with a lower roofline gently raking rearward to create that purportedly coupe profile.
Actually, the new X4 looks better than its predecessor thanks to an elongated C-pillar design, classier rear lights and, once and for all, a properly bold nose.
Despite belonging to that M Sport package, the 19-inch wheels look puny and not so flashy.
Sure, such a rim size is big already, but it doesn’t help fill the big wheel arches BMW has penned for the X4.
Which is why some visual appeal is missing in the X4 overall and why the GLC Coupe tends to have more harmonious proportions on the outside.
The X4’s cabin, on the contrary, feels more justifiable. Of course, it’s practically the same as in the X3, but there’s no shortage of perceived quality for a premium SUV.
The seats, in particular, look nice with the red-coloured stitching.
As in most other style-led SUVs, the X4’s sleek stance takes away rear vision from the driver and boot height from tall stuff.
At least, headroom for rear passengers isn’t lacking and the boot goes in quite deep.
Perhaps, this is something many current owners and potential punters have already made up their minds in the first place: X3 is for the family, while X4 is more for two-up motoring.
Apart from the body, the other facet that separates X4 from the X3 (and those two GLCs) is the chassis setup.
Naturally, the X4 has the sportier variation by possessing a slightly firmer suspension and meatier steering.
But it never feels brash in the new X4. It’s still an easy vehicle to veer around town and the ride still feels generally comfortable.
However, the secondary ride can feel lumpy at times over uneven road surfaces which is probably why those wheel and tyre sizes have been chosen for the Thai-spec X4.
Even so, you can’t stop craving for better-looking mag wheels.
Performance-wise, you really can’t ask for more than what the 190hp diesel delivers in the real world.
It’s punchy at all times and frugal in the typical oil-burning manner.
Although 20d is all you need, it would have been nice if the Thai BMW office considers some other engine variances to help make the X4 more special over the X3.
The GLC Coupe, for one, is not only available with a four-pot petrol or diesel but also with a brawny twin-turbocharged six-pot in the guise of the AMG-fettled GLC43.
Of course, price goes up in tandem with performance, but we’re talking about an SUV that’s quite pricey already. More importantly, the X4 is supposed to feel more special than an X3.
In the end, though, the X4 should still manage to win hearts of potential buyers with its looks and not-so-much price difference over the X3. On this context, the deciding factor in the latest is only the body and not driving performance.
