Five things you need to know about the 2019 BMW X2 M35i

[MUSIC] These days BMW sells quite a lot of different crossovers. Unfortunately, quite a few of them have performance variants as well. This one is the X2 M35i. And it's really pretty fun to drive. Here are five things you need to know about it [MUSIC] Let's start by talking about the engine because that's really the key to what makes this M35i version of the X2 so exciting It's a 2-liter, turbocharged, inline four. It produces 302 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, which is a ton of power for a 2-liter engine. It gets this car to 60 miles an hour in just 4.9 Seconds. And best of all it sounds really sporty to you got all the snarls and growls on purrs that you might expect from something more like a focus our **** or a Volkswagen Golf are. Now I feel like I says about every BMW engine but it's really really true of. Of this engine that there is power and torque everywhere and basically no discernible turbo lag. The engine pulls really easily all through the rev range all the way up to its redline. And that's part of what makes this car feel so quick on the road. That said, in everyday driving the car can actually feel a little bit sluggish. There are times when you slow down and go to accelerate again, say when you When you're in slower traffic or slowing for a roundabout or yield sign. Well the car takes an age to give you power. It's like the car has to go through a committee meeting to decide whether the transmission should down shift. And that's really frustrating given how quick and sporty I know the car can be in other situations [MUSIC] I'm not wild about the look of the standard X2 especially with those big round L badges on the rear pillars. But in M35i trim things are a lot better. The car sits 10 millimeters lower on its Suspension [UNKNOWN] new body kit and along with these optional 20 inch wheels, you end up with the car let's go to very sporty hunker down look a little bit more hot hatchback than crossover, and I like that. But then there's the interior as you can see there is a lot of red leather in here and it's a little. Much I definitely wouldn't pay the 1400 and $50 extra that this option costs. That said the rest of the cabin is actually really nicely trim and easy to use switch gear and buttons. I've got these really nice bolstered sports seats and a three spoke and the sports specific stairwell. But given that this is a sporting model and it's quite expensive. We'll touch on the price a little bit later. It'd be nice to have a little bit more visual flair in here too. Maybe some alloy pedals or carbon fiber trim as well. [MUSIC] Now compared to the standard X2, the M35, [UNKNOWN] Also gets a lot of upgrades to improve handling. The suspension is lower and stiffer, the tyres are sticky Polelli P Zeros. It's got standard all wheel drive which is definitely helpful on a rainy day like today. With an electronic Limited Slip front differential, and you get in large breaks given me not on a great stopping panel but a really firm pedal feel as well. Now put that all together and it makes for Cava is really pretty fun to drive on a twisty road. This kind of very energetic much more so than you might expect. From a luxury crossover. But there is a downside to all of those handling upgrades, and that's road quality. The M35I bounces and fidgets over every road. Even the smoothest roads I've found. In that way it almost reminds me of the way that a Ford Focus RS rides. And it's frankly a little bit frustrating, especially on long journeys. Now this kind of does have optional 20 inch wheels. The standard wheels of 19 inch with slightly bigger tyre saddle so that might soften the ride a little but suffice it to say, the M35i is not the most comfortable car SUV where you combine. The X2 has a great compliment of technology starting with this touchscreen infotainment system that runs BMW's I-Drive 6 software. I've had a chance to use this software in many different BMW's and it's great. It's fast and responsive and easy to use. It's got all the features you'd expect for a luxury car. Satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, navigation. It even has wireless Apple Car Play support although, as in most BMWs, it's only free for the first year and then you have to pay a subscription fee. We think that's kind of mean to make you pay a subscription to use Apple Car Play in a luxury car. The entertainment system also has a couple of extra special displays for the sport model. I can see how much horse power and torque the engine is producing, which is not really all that useful, and I can also see the tyre pressure And temperatures which actually is kind of useful. There's a lot of safety technology in here too. I've got pre-collison warning and breaking with pedestrian detection. Automatic high beams, lame departure warning and Adaptive cruise control and parking sensors. One thing that's missing is blind spot monitoring. There is no way to equip any version of the X2 with blind spot warning. [MUSIC] [SOUND] So performance It's well and good but what about the Practical stuff. Well the X2 is reasonably roomy and signed. Cargo space Is pretty good at 21.6 cubic feet with the seats up and about 50 with them folded down. That's a little bit less space than you get a BMW X1, but frankly it's still going to be plenty of room for anyone who's buying this type of vehicle. Fuel economy for the M35i model Is rated at 23 miles per gallon city and 29 MPG highway, and that's not too bad at all when you consider that the standard [UNKNOWN] is rated at 21 31 MPG. Finally, the X2M35I is a little bit on the pricey side Side it starts at $47,000 and the one I'm driving with a couple of options on it is 55,000 last test. It is worth remembering that the standard X two I'll be it with only 228 horsepower and front wheel drive, so Starts for just $37,000. And those are the five basic things you need to know about the 2019 BMW X2 M35I. For full written review of the sporty crossover, be sure to visit us at theroadshow.com. [MUSIC]