BMW is keeping its lips sealed about its next crossover coupe but rumors indicate the X4 will be nearly identical to the X4 Concept that bowed at the Shanghai Motor Show last April. Just as the X6 is a more stylish (and less practical) version of the midsize X5, the X4 will be the compact X3′s slinkier sibling.
Based on what we’ve been told, it’s safe to assume the entry-level X4 will be powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that will generate about 240 horsepower. More expensive models will utilize a 300-horsepower 3.0-liter six-cylinder mill, and a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid variant is a very real possibility later in the production run.
In Europe, the X4 will get a range of gas and diesel engines of the four- and six-cylinder varieties, while gearbox choices will include a traditional six-speed manual, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and a conventional eight-speed automatic. Because they aren’t offered in the U.S.-market X3, it’s unlikely (though still possible) that the X4 will be offered stateside with a manual transmission or diesel engine. Do, however, expect a range-topping X4 M with a turbocharged inline-six similar to that of the upcoming M3.
The production version of the X4 will be built alongside the X5, X6 and X3 in BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Look for the crossover to greet the public for the first time at next April’s New York Motor Show and land in showrooms shortly after as a 2015 model.
The X4 will carry a price premium over its more utilitarian X3 sibling; whereas the X3 starts at $39,395, an Autoweek report suggests that the X4 will carry a base price of $42,000.
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