The BMW X4 takes the compact SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) concept of the X3 and adds a sporty flair to proceedings. While this may not be everyone's cup of tea, there's no denying that the sheer brute power is something to be desired.
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Some cars are created with a purpose in mind. They’re crafted to provide a solution to a problem that consumers have. The sports car of for going fast, the convertible for feeling the wind in your hair, the SUV for carrying larger loads over rougher terrain and the hatchback makes life in the city a little easier. Then there are cars that just exist for the sake of existing and for quite some time, the BMW X4 was one of those. It still is, in my opinion, but now BMW has gone and made it angry. I give you the BMW X4 M Competition.
I still struggle with the concept of the high-performance SUV but I’ll humour BMW here. I also struggle with the idea of a coupe-styled SUV. Once again, I’ll humour them. BMW has gone and combined the two and they didn’t do it with a large, spacious version of one of their SUV offerings, no, they’ve done it with the X4. I’ll do my best to keep my own personal reservations on one side because the BMW X4 certainly appeared to have the interest of the buying public. Perhaps I’m just too set in my ways. Na, can’t be…
Styling
Take the BMW X4 with its tall nose and sloping rear end and try to not get too lost in the proportions. The X4 has never seemed truly cohesive as a design but therein lies the appeal for some. The X4 M Competition gets the latest refresh given to the X3 and X4 range which sees the kidney grilles enlarged and separated by a black spar, as is customary with BMW design language of late. The standard LED Matrix headlights of the Competition are now slimmer, and more slender and the front apron sports large vertical slats and a gaping air dam. Being a Competition version, many of these details are finished off in gloss black.
The BMW X4 M Competition rolls on a set of large 21-inch alloy wheels with a set of low profile 255/40 and 265/40 tyres. These forged, star-spoke 892M wheels look the part and reveal a massive set of brakes with painted callipers that sport the M badge. Ordinarily, these are finished in blue but you can specify a gloss red as well, as seen on our test model.
The rear end gets the same updated look with LED taillights, black surrounds and a meaty rear diffuser, once again, finished in gloss black. Above this is a styling cue unique to the X4 M, a gloss black anvil-shaped element that extends up on either side of the rear bumper, mimicking the design of the front vents.
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Space & Interior
The interior gets dressed up in a similar fashion, one befitting of a modern M car. The new sport seats have electrically adjustable headrests and illuminated logos while contrasting stitching and m-stripes on the seatbelts make no bones about the stock from which the X4 M hails from. The M steering wheel features similar contrasting stitching, this time in the M colours while the accents are finished off in a brushed silver look. Our test model was specified with the carbon fibre interior trimmings and this creates a sporty contrast to the silver and black leather.
Space is acceptable and front passengers won’t notice the difference between this and an X3. It’s the rear passengers that may feel the pinch if they’re over the 6ft mark with the sloping rear glass line. The boot remains fairly effective though with a 525-litre boot that expands to 1430-litres when you fold the seats down.
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Comfort & Convenience
The latest BMW X4 M Competition is equipped with BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional system which maximises the capabilities of the BMW OS7. It features Connected Drive with BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant to help you make calls, enquire about the weather and access a variety of vehicle settings and features by simple asking the vehicle to do so. This means that you have no fewer than four different ways to interact with the infotainment system. You can use voice, as mentioned, the steering wheel controls, the iDrive controller in the centre console, or you can opt to interact with the touchscreen.
On the comfort front, do you remember those 21-inch wheels I mentioned a short while ago? Well, these, combined with the adaptive M suspension sees the X4 M Competition ride rather firm. Primary ride is rather respectable but the finer undulations of the road surface are seemingly amplified and this can become a little tiresome on the long road.
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Performance
While it may look like a radioactive tennis ball, it goes like a rocket and there’s no denying that this is where the focus of the BMW engineers lay. The X4 M Competition is powered by a 3.0-litre straight-six S58 engine with two turbochargers. This unit produces 375 kW and 650 Nm torque, up 50 Nm from before. It sends this power to all four wheels through an 8-speed M Steptronic gearbox. The M xDrive AWD drivetrain operates primarily in rear-wheel-drive configuration until the limits of rear wheel traction are exceeded, at which point power is transferred to the front wheels. This process is seamless and the active differential ensures that minimal power is lost in the process. As a result, the BMW X4 M Competition can do the standing sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in only 3.8-seconds.
Fuel Economy
Depending on your you drive the X4 M Competition, you may be visiting the fuel pumps a little more often than you’d like. BMW claims a consumption figure of 10.6 l/100km which, on its own is a little stiff, but a heavy foot will see you hover around the 18 l/100km mark. The 65-litre fuel tank will see you get approximately 613 km if you’re able to hit that claim of 10.4 l/100km.
Safety
It goes without saying that the BMW X4 is a safe vehicle and the X4 M Competition is no different. There’s the usual array of airbags, 6 in total, vehicle stability programs, ABS and traction controls while adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist keep you safer on the open road.
Price
The BMW X4 M Competition is not what one would call an affordable vehicle. At the time of writing, prices for the BMW X4 M Competition started from R2 122 618 before you start with the options list. The X4 M Competition is backed by a 2-year/Unlimited km warranty and is sold with a 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.
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Competitors
One has to consider that the X4 M Competition is a strange duck, but it’s not the only duck to fall into this strange segment of the market. You’d have to consider vehicles like the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63S and Porsche Cayenne GTS coupe. If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s even the Jaguar F-Pace SVR with its angry V8 soundtrack.
Verdict
The BMW X4 M Competition and I never seemed to get along. I could appreciate the engineering and the performance; it genuinely excelled in that department but each and every time I walked out to it, I couldn’t bare to look at it. It’s not a shape or form that appeals to me but I appear to be a marginalized sector of the population because so many would stop, stare or take a photo of the X4 M Competition. Somewhere along the line, the performance SUV has genuinely achieved a level of desirability amongst the public and it’s easy to see why we will still get vehicles like these (or electric versions thereof) for the foreseeable future.
Chad LückhoffWith over 18 years of motorsport commentary and a passion for 90s Japanese Sports Cars, Chad Lückhoff is happiest when surrounded by drift cars and smoking tyres. His experience as the Technical Editor of the country’s top tuning magazine means that it’s the nuts and bolts of motoring that tickles his fancy. As comfortable in front of the camera as he is behind it, he’ll take you behind the wheel with his video reviews, written recounts, and invoking photography. One of the first to join the AutoTrader fray, Chad has been living his passion at AutoTrader for over 7-years.View News & Reviews
Keyword: BMW X4 M Competition (2022) review