German automakers seem to delight in building a vehicle for every possible niche, sometimes even resorting to creating new niches in the quest for ever more models. The latest evidence of this somewhat obsessive tendency is BMW’s announcement that it will build the X4, a compact version of what the company terms a “Sports Activity Coupe.”
BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer has affirmed that X4 is slated for production in 2014. Volume limitations had originally led BMW to shelve the project, but the shift in X3 production from Germany to the company’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina has apparently freed up enough capacity for the X4 to become a reality.
BMW invented the notion of a Sports Activity Coupe a few years back with the introduction of the X6, essentially an X5 with more aggressive styling, a sloping roofline and significantly decreased cabin space. Look for the X4 to follow the same formula, only with the smaller X3 as its basis.
In Europe, the X4 will get a range of gas and diesel engines of the four- and six-cylinder variety, 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, its 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.
