As the popularity of soft-roaders grows, manufacturers are scrambling to dip a finger into every niche possible. Along with high-riding hatchbacks and conventional family wagons, a wave of coupe-style crossovers focusing on style has flooded the streets, led by the BMW X6. The latest car to try and plug new niches is the BMW X2 Concept, a slicker take on the practical X1 SUV.
From the outside, the X2 Concept slots neatly in with the rest of BMW four-wheel drives on sale at the moment, albeit in a slightly exaggerated way. The massive kidney grille and squinting headlamps make it look solid, and aggressive, but there's also some substance behind the style. Those headlamps are laser lights, which create a crisper and brighter beam than regular units, and can be slotted into a smaller package as well.
Moving along the side of the car reveals a sloping roofline, designed to make the Concept look less like a practical family hauler, and more like a coupe on stilts. Although it doesn't slope nearly as much as the back end on the X4 or X6, the X2 Concept is definitely a better looking beast than the boxier X1.
Down back, designers have used slim LED lighting to recreate the traditional shape of BMW taillights. A big, silver diffuser and massive exhaust pipes are both concept car touches that aren't likely to make production, but look good on the motor show stand.
The whole car sits on chunky 21-inch wheels and knobbly tires, designed to make it look rough and ready for action, just like the Lexus UX Concept launched at the Paris Motor Show.
At the moment, there's no word about production for the X2 Concept, but we wouldn't be surprised to see it on showrooms sooner, rather than later. After all, BMW already has a front-drive platform it could build the car on, and the X1 is the only SUV in the brand's range without a coupe stablemate.
Source: BMW
