I have driven a few BMWs during the #xBhpPowerTour2024; M4 CSL, M8 Competition, and a couple of M motorcycles. All of them were quite hardcore. Taut, edgy, and powerful and while these traits can be fun at times, I wanted something a bit tamer this time. So I went with the BMW X2 M35i. It is compact, four-wheel drive, and supposed to be an SUV so it is bound to be tamer, right BMW? 

BMW? 

Well, since I could not get an answer, I decided to find out for myself. It is kind of tamer but only in terms of the four-wheel drive which means the power does not get overwhelming. It does not have biblical numbers on paper but I can still believe that it would have been pretty rowdy if it was just rear-wheel drive. It could not be though since it is an X series car and that means xDrive. More than that, it has an M badge so it was supposed to be… fun. 

Without jumping ahead, let us start with the looks. The X2 follows in the footsteps of some of its older siblings. It is an SUV with a sloping roofline which makes it an SAC (BMW-speak) or Sports Activity Coupe. The good thing is that it was not an afterthought so it looks very proportional and coherent. It is also very geometric, very polygon-ish. 

It has a normal grille with horizontal bars but take a look at the scoops and you’ll know what I mean by the polygon reference. It has a mean face which is in line with the M-aesthetic. Things are even better towards the rear quarter and the back. The sloping roofline adds sportiness to the shape. At the rear, the roofline almost melts into a spoiler which further makes a statement about this being an M-car. 

Overall, it is supposed to be an accessible car but from the looks (for now), it wants its owners to take it seriously and respect the M-badge. 

The interior of the X2 M35i is something I liked. The cockpit is centred around the screens and everything is sleek and intuitive. The centre console is also well-executed and integrates well with the ecosystem. The buttons and dials are tactile. Some nice materials have been used to make the interior seem more posh than it is. If I have to give an example, paddle shifters have a rubberized treatment at the back and it may seem like a gimmick but in use, they feel nice. 

The cake though belongs to BMW’s new OS, the iDrive 9. Instead of relying on your phone with a minimal UI of the car itself, iDrive 9 enables you to download apps (some of them) which provide a much richer interface than even Apple CarPlay. Overall, in terms of technology, I am a fan of what BMW has done and the direction they are heading in. 

In terms of space, the BMW X2 M35i does reasonably well. In the front, there’s enough headroom and thigh support. At the rear, things are a tad cramped at least compared to the front but even then, it does better than I thought it would because of the roofline. It is a comfortable car to drive over long distances, at least on the inside. The ‘but’ of this particular statement will be discussed in the following sections. 

Starting with the engine, we have a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. It puts out 312 bhp and 400 Nm of torque, respectable numbers, transmitted to the wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. As mentioned earlier, all 4 wheels are driven and the car weighs around 1,740 kg. It might seem a bit on the heavier side but for a modern car with all-wheel drive and the creature comforts it boasts, I’d say it is rather impressive. 

At idle, you can barely hear or feel the engine. Virtually no vibrations and a very mild noise which is a result of the noise from the engine itself and the enhancement that BMW calls Active Sound Design. Even when revved, it does not sound alarmingly sporty but it is not muted either. Thanks to the enhancements, it sounds quite alright. It performs well too. Again, it won’t blow your mind with outright performance but it is no slouch either. 

It can also be because I have driven some diabolical BMWs recently. Even then, the performance is enough to keep you engaged. I liked the steering as well. In normal modes, it is a little inert but in the Sport setting, it has much better resistance. You can feel the weight and the connection with the road. The brakes are even better. They almost feel like overkill for this car and take some getting used to thanks to the phenomenal bite. 

The suspension is non-adjustable and it is a shame because they are stiff. Not as much as the M4 CSL or the M8 Competition, but stiff for a car like this. The upside is fantastic handling. In the mountains, it was a joy to drive as it keeps you engaged and updated on exactly what is going on with the front. But on rougher roads, it keeps you updated on exactly where the roadmakers messed up and that is the downside. 

So with the BMW X2 M35i, you get exactly what you ask for. You might say it is an overly stiff BMW X car but then, you wanted the M-badge too, right? For a little more comfort, do you think BMW is going to betray what the M-Badge stands for? I think not and I am glad. So it was not exactly the tame BMW I was looking for but it is a fun little car so… I guess I can’t complain. After all, I went for the M-badge too, right?