A sleek and stylish European SUV with a lift back coupe design? Yes please. We’re definitely a fan of the 2022 BMW X4 xDrive30i, a vehicle that’s visually striking from the get go – with sharp and aggressive frontage.
The “kidney” shaped grille with laser LED headlights just adds to the X4’s road presence. We can imagine it would be intimidating seeing it in your rear view mirror. It’s look flows all the way to the rear too, with a duck-lip style tailgate and dual exit exhaust.
Along the way, it embraces jet black 20-inch M light alloy double-spoked wheels. Inside, the first thing you’re greeted by is the ocean of Tacora Red Vernasca leather throughout the cabin, and the Aluminium Rhombicle trim finisher that accentuates the darkened dash.
BMW sure knows how to create a beautiful interior, and the X4 is testimony to this. There’s a 12.3-inch multimedia unit perched on top of the dashboard and a second 12.3-inch unit which acts as your instrument cluster, behind the M Sport leather steering wheel.
The wireless connectivity is spectacular with cable-free Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but BMW’s iDrive system is good enough that you won’t need to connect your mobile device for anything other than media.
The rotary controller which acts as a joystick and mouse can take some getting used to if you’re new to BMW vehicles, but works very well and saves you from having to touch the screen and leave fingerprints all over it.
There’s an array of settings and options deep in the menus so there’s plenty to play with, including ambient lighting that sets the in-car mood. It’s just superb.
Both the first and second rows are comfortable and spacious, we were able to sit a few people on the taller side in the second row side by side without any legroom or headroom issues.
Basically, you’re buying an expensive but comfortable couch with a steering wheel and pedals that can take you from A to B in luxurious style. Throw a rear-facing child seat in the back though, and you will need to push the front passenger seat forward.
It’s not to the point that the passenger sitting in the seat would be uncomfortable, but it does require some adjustment. If practicality is what you’re after, the X4 has plenty of it with two cupholders in the front row (and two in row two), plus drink holders in the doors.
Boot space totals 525-litres with the second row seats up, and the boot entry is massive thanks to the lift-back design. An automatic tailgate is standard, and the rear seats can be folded down to accommodate 1,430-litres of stuff.
Under the bonnet, you’ve got a TwinPower turbo 2.0-litre inline 4-cylinder engine with an output of 185kW and 350Nm of torque to all four wheels, thanks to BMW’s xDrive system. For those wondering, TwinPower means twin-scroll.
The upshot of the BMW setup is better low-end torque, response and less turbo lag. The engine is mated to an 8-speed conventional torque converter automatic gearbox, which is smooth and works seamlessly in the background.
BMW claim a combined fuel economy of 7.9-litres/100km but we were only able to manage 9.6-litres/100km. It drives well, mostly, and unless you’re in Sport or Sport Plus, there’s a bit of a delay in throttle response.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is plenty to rocket the X4 forward from a standstill to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds, eliminating the thought that the engine is too small for such a large car. There’s a nice little growl to it when you give it the beans too.
The X4 has a 5-star ANCAP safety rating, and there’s a button on the dash with a green backlight that you can press, which brings up the safety suite to make adjustments. We found the standard settings to be sufficient and not at all overbearing.
It reacts well to sudden braking in front of you. It comes equipped with an excellent camera system which includes a 360 degree camera and multi-point of view modes for when you’re really in a tight spot, or a McDonald’s drive-thru, as well.
Autonomous emergency braking, rear-cross traffic alerts, dynamic braking lights, dynamic stability and traction control systems all feature, and there’s also large M-Sport brakes that act more like anchors to ensure all 1815kg of X4 comes to a stop.
The downside of the 2022 BMW X4 xDrive30i is that for $95,900 excluding on road costs, there are a lot of features missing – including adaptive cruise control and wireless phone charging.
Those are features that can be found standard on the 2022 Mercedes GLC Coupe and Audi Q5. That said, it’s not a bad way to spend $100,000 – if you’re looking for a lift-back coupe style sports SUV, the X4 is a great choice.
Rear visibility could be better but that’s a sacrifice you’ll have to make when choosing a lift-back styled vehicle. BMW offers a 3-year unlimited kilometre warranty. You can build and price your own on the BMW Australia website.
Our 2022 BMW X4 xDrive30i was supplied by BMW Australia. To find out more, contact your local BMW dealer. Pictures courtesy of Brakefast Media.
