BMW X4 xDrive28i reviewed

BMW’s Sport Activity Coupe.

The BMW X6 is a car that every lady would swoon over and the only thing that is stopping them from driving it (safe for the pricetag) is the size so BMW came up with the best solution: hit it with a shrink ray to give you the X4. Like every other lady out there, the X6 was the dream car that I would never drive because it’s too big! So when the X4 was introduced in Malaysia, I’ve been itching to try out the car.

So being the smaller version of a well-known and unique car how will the X4 perform?

Exterior

As you already know, the X4 is the smaller version of the X6. Everything that you see on the X6 can be found on the X4, only smaller. The X4 has a lower ground clearance so it has a lower A-pillar so you will find yourself lowering your head when you get into the car to avoid hitting it even though you are one of a smaller build!

Interior  

The X4 sits more like a sport car than the Sports Activity Coupe that it is. The rear seats though are two elegant coupe-style individual seats which can sit up to three passengers and it is, thankfully, not too straight that it would give you a creak in the neck after a long ride.

The only thing I have to complain about the comfortable interior is the colour. Mocha is just not the colour to go, it made the interior look twice as worn out as it is. Yes, you get a choice between Mocha, black and Ivory white and black is the most feasible colour out of the three. Doesn’t leave much room to get creative.

Power is as you would expect from a BMW, the X4 boasts 241bhp and it felt every bit like it. But there is a downside to it, the steering is very light and doesn’t return much feedback. With the lack of a meaty steering wheel at speeds the car had been all over the place. The X4 is best left for a leisure drive at a constant speed of, say 150kph?

Tech and Safety

I would have rated the BMW Connected Drive full marks, if BMW would hurry up and show some Android love. The system is currently more compatible for IOS than Android with most apps are only found in the iTunes store. The car was launched in August 2014 in Malaysia and even then they had promised to work on the Android apps but we’ve yet to see it.

Summary: Overall score: 15/20

Shrinking the X6 doesn’t make the X4 any less talented, in fact, I would say the X4 amplified all that the X6 had to give. The X4 is a fun car to drive that is perfect for those young at heart. Although I have to say that the X4 has a decided feminine touch to it that will appeal to the ladies. This proves my suspicion that the X4 is specifically shrunk for the ladies!

BMW X4 xDrive28i

Price

RM438,800.00 without insurance

Engine

1997cc, inline-4, 245bhp @ 5000-6500rpm, 350Nm @ 1250-4800rpm

Transmission

Eight-speed sport automatic transmission with Steptronic

Performance

6.4sec 0-100kph, 232kph, 7.3-litre/100km, 169g/km

Length/ height

4671mm/ 1624mm

- Source: Jerrica Leong @ Astro Publication