Are those C-pillar badges?
Last year, BMW wowed fans and critics alike with its Concept X2 that it brought to the Paris Motor Show. With its bright-orange paintwork and sharp details, it looked like no other BMW SUV before it, while still retaining all the design details that mark it out as a BMW at first glance (look at those nostrils).
We were told later that the X2 would go into production, so naturally we expected the design to be pared down for production. We’re pleased to report that thanks to some patent images, we now have a pretty detailed look at just how pared down that design had to be to make production. And we’re pleased to report that, if you squint, it almost seems like the Concept X2 has survived the trip from concept to production pretty much unscathed.
If you don’t squint though, you’ll notice a handful of minor changes that have contributed to a larger overall effect. The production X2 appears to have smaller iterations of BMW’s signature kidney grilles, and the lower front bumper has seen some revision to make it a little less aggressive. The headlights have also been revised, and now appear larger and more toned-down. They still retain their angular shape though, which helps give the X2 a pretty mean face.
The patent images also reveal other changes, like the standard-fit mirrors, smaller exhaust, mildly-changed rear lights and a rear bumper that reminds us of the original X1. What’s particularly interesting is the little round recess spotted on the C-pillar, which looks remarkably similar to the round recesses on the nose and rump where the BMW badge will eventually go. Will we see the introduction of pillar badges, perhaps?
We’ll have to wait until the Frankfurt motorshow in a couple of months to see the X2 in the flesh, but it appears to have fulfilled its brief of being a sharper, sportier X1 down to the letter. Expect to see a range of BMW’s B-series four-cylinder turbo engines, as well as a possibility of three-cylinder forced-induction mills as well as six-cylinder motors for performance variants. The eight-speed ZF automatic is a given, but driven wheels remain a mystery.
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