BMW X2 crossover coming in 2017?

A new report indicates BMW’s on-again, off-again X2 crossover has been given the green light for a 2017 launch. Small and sporty-looking, the X2 will slot beneath the X6 and the recently-unveiled X4 in the Munich-based automaker’s ever-growing lineup.

It is too early to say precisely what the X2 will look like but rumors indicate it will boast a dynamic silhouette inspired by the aforementioned X6 and X4, two models classified by BMW as Sport Activity Vehicles (SAV). Unlike its bigger siblings, the X2 be offered as a four-door and as a two-door in order to appeal to a young and image-conscious target audience.

The X2 will share its UKL platform with over a dozen other models including the upcoming second-gen X1, the third-gen MINI and the 2015 2-Series Active Tourer. Power will come from the usual assortment of three- and four-cylinder engines ranging from 1.5- to 2.0-liters in displacement. European buyers will have access to several diesel-burning mills, and a M-badged performance-focused model will likely round out the lineup.

Although the X2′s powerplants will be mounted transversally, all models regardless of engine size and trim level will come standard with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system.

If the rumor proves true, the BMW X2 will likely bow as a close-to-production concept next year at a major auto show. When launched, it will fight head-to-head against the second-generation Audi Q3 and the next Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class.