2018-02-05 10:00
BMW is gearing up to follow the newly launched X3 with a refreshed version of its ‘coupe’ sibling – and now our spy photographers have captured the evidence that the German brand is working on a high-performance version of that car, the X4 M.
This will be the first X4 to get the full-house treatment from BMW’s M Division – although the car’s mechanical make-up is likely to stick closely to that of the X3 M. Under the bonnet there’s likely to be a single-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, producing anywhere between 425bhp and 445bhp. This will be transmitted to the road through all-wheel drive and a beefed-up suspension configuration, with double wishbones at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear.
• Best crossovers and small SUVs on sale
The spy pics are taken during winter testing, as BMW hones the X4 M’s thermal management. As such, it’s likely that the car shown above features a production-specification design of front and rear bumpers. There are deep air intakes at the outer edge of the front bumper, while even in more extreme M spec, the rear shows a neater design than the outgoing X4’s, with a more fully integrated profile that shortens the visible rear overhang.
There’s no mistaking the quad tailpipes at the rear, though – nor the huge alloy wheels (probably 21in items) covering sizeable cross-drilled brake discs.
BMW has resisted faster versions of its smaller SUVs for some time. However, the plethora of hot small SUVs from the likes of Audi and Mercedes-Benz is said to have persuaded BMW that it’s an area of the market that it’s no longer able to to ignore.
There’s no on-sale date yet for the X4 M. However, we wouldn’t expect it to arrive in dealerships until the end of the year at the earliest – perhaps with a public debut in the autumn, ahead of sales starting before spring 2019. The X3 M will give us a preview of the car’s mechanical components, though, because it should arrive around six months earlier.
Interested in fast SUVs? Then take a look at the fastest SUVs in the world.
from Featured Articles http://ift.tt/2nENDvS
No comments:
Post a Comment