Lee Min-hyung joined The Korea Times in 2014 and has worked as a journalist mainly in Korea’s finance, tech and automotive industry. He specializes in content creation, breaking news and in-depth analysis currently on transportation and mobility. You can reach him via mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr.
TEST DRIVE BMW ensures agile, fun ride with strategic X2 coupe SUV
BMW's X2 compact SUV / Courtesy of BMW Korea
By Lee Min-hyung
The BMW X2 compact SUV combines its iconic fun-to-drive elements with a sporty image thanks to its sleek coupe-style exterior design.
The luxury carmaker's iconic kidney grille has been upgraded with a mesh-type pearl gloss chrome finish, giving the vehicle a more youthful identity.
On the sides of the vehicle, the coupe-style design is now more pronounced on the X2, with the roofline smoothly sloping down toward the rear. This creates a streamlined look, reinforcing its identity as a sports activity coupe.
The X2 returned last year with the latest version, featuring a larger body size in terms of length, width and height compared to its predecessor. This helped drivers enjoy a more spacious indoor experience. The vehicle's cargo capacity is 560 liters, which can be expanded to 1,470 liters when the second-row seats are folded.
The exterior of the BMW X2 SUV / Korea Times photo by Lee Min-hyung
The X2 xDrive20i version was equipped with the carmaker’s turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine. Since this model is not designed for high-performance driving, its initial acceleration was less impressive than expected.
However, the vehicle quickly picked up speed smoothly, allowing BMW fans to experience its fun driving identity. With 204 horsepower, it can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 7.4 seconds, which is sufficient for most city driving and highway conditions in Korea.
When this reporter drove the vehicle from Seoul to Gimhae, a city in South Gyeongsang Province, its fuel efficiency proved satisfactory, achieving more than 12 kilometers per liter for the round trip. The one-way distance between the two cities is approximately 380 kilometers.
The interior of the BMW X2 SUV / Korea Times photo by Lee Min-hyung
BMW Korea installed the nation's most popular navigation app, Tmap, in the vehicle for the first time on this model. This ensured a more comfortable driving experience, as the absence of domestic navigation software has long been cited as a key downside of major imported luxury vehicles in Korea.
It remains to be seen if demand for the vehicle will be able to counter the fact that the X4, a mid-sized coupe SUV, is being discontinued.
Customers who prefer a compact body with solid driving performance will be satisfied with the X2, even though it still doesn't match the X4 in terms of its more rugged, masculine identity.
The BMW X2 xDrive20i is priced at 68.3 million won ($47,200) here.