Friday, September 28, 2018

2019 BMW X2 M35i: It’s A Bird! It’s A Plane! It’s A . . . We Don’t Know!

  • The 2019 BMW X2 M35i is the newest member of the brand’s Sports Activity Coupe family.
  • But what does that mean exactly?
  • The engine is pretty cool – we know at least that much. 

Drum roll please because here it is, the all-new 2019 BMW X2 M35i. The latest in a growing lineup of those sort-of-SUV/sort-of-a-coupe things that are real popular in Europe, and only mildly popular here in The States. What BMW is after here is people who want everything: a car and a sports car and something swoopy and something practical and something sort of off-roady.

Oh, and the X2 M35i is small too.

So Many Rugrats

The 2019 BMW X2 M35i is, as with all things BMW, pretty capable. But, as with much of what’s rolling out of the Bavarian’s factories, it’s one of a bunch of half-way between this and that and another thing model. I swear to Kurt Tank that BMW has so many M variants and X models rolling around, it’s like keeping track of the members of the chorale at a Wagner opera.

It’s tiring and I’m not sure why they do this.

2019 BMW X2 M35i. Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.


BMW has so many M variants and X models rolling around, it’s like keeping track of the members of the chorale at a Wagner opera.
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Power & Performance

What we have here is the newest member of BMW’s X2 Sports Activity Coupe family. The new X2 has an “extroverted” design. The 2.0L TwinPower turbocharged 4-cylinder puts out 302 horsepower and 332 lb-ft. of torque. No major engine component went untouched either. The crank has larger main bearings for better reinforcement. The pistons are new with a slightly dropped compression ratio (down to 9.5:1 vs. the previous 10.2:1). The intake has a higher flow tract and the cooling system has been upgraded.

The turbo is larger and boost increases.

All that energy goes to the ground via BMW’s xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system. The eight-speed sport automatic with Launch Control also helps. The X2 wears an M Sport Differential on the front axle for the first time ever, and features a Torsen limited slip with a 39 percent lock-up. The transmission has steering wheel shift paddles, M Performance specific tuning, and updated gear ratios.

The 2019 BMW X2 M35i hits 60 in just 4.9 seconds. Not bad.

Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.

Suspension & Braking

On top of the boss engine is the M Sport suspension, with stiffer spring and damper rates, and a 10 mm lower ride height. The rear axle carrier and lateral control arms improve driving dynamics, according to BMW. An optional adaptive damper suspension with two different manually selectable modes is also available for the 2019 BMW X2 M35i.

The braking system has these fancy Dark Blue M metallic calipers for consistently short braking distances.

Interior Treatments

Complimenting the exterior design is the M Sport Package, with a standard M Sport leather steering wheel, shift paddles, and sport seats. The optional front M sport seats (buy these) have integrated headrests and aggressive lateral support for both driver and passenger.

The M sport seats are available upholstered in Magma Red Dakota Leather with perforations and black accents, or Black Dakota Leather with perforations. The standard sport seats come in Black or Oyster SensaTec.

The latest generation of BMW’s ConnectedDrive and Apple CarPlay are also along for the ride.

Photo: BMW of North America, LLC.

Pricing & Availability

How much? BMW doesn’t say, but then again, how cheap are BMWs? Not very. Production for the U.S. market begins in November.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz

2019 BMW X2 M35i Gallery

Photos & Source: BMW of North America, LLC.



from Automoblog.net https://www.automoblog.net/2018/09/27/2019-bmw-x2-m35i/
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from Tumblr http://peternpalmer.tumblr.com/post/178532936106
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