2016 Paris Motor Show: BMW X2 Concept previews new coupé-crossover
BMW has a special love for creating coup-crossovers and now the luxury carmaker is creating a new one âÂ" the X2. Shown in a concept form at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, the X2 previews some of the new design elements that could be adopted in the upcoming BMW SUVs and crossovers. The concept only showcases the exterior design cues for now.
What you see here then is a crossover that looks quite different from the rest of the BMW X line-up. The most striking difference for the BMW X2 is in the contrast of the top and lower sections of the vehicle. At the top, the coup begins defining the sporty character of the X2. Adding to that effect are other elements like the streamlined glasshouse, the roof-mounted spoiler and the sleek tail lights and headlights. The latter also gets the laser-light treatment, and we won't be surprised if BMW starts putting this tech into mainstream production to counter Audi's matrix lights. We also like the slim ORVMs, particularly with their classy two-piece stalks. BMW has also put its logos on the C-pillars. Though it reminds us of the yesteryear BMW M1 supercar, we believe it's a polarising design trait.
The lower part of the BMW X2 concept highlights its SUV inclination. The most obvious giveaways are the 21-inch alloys and the near squared-off wheel arches like the rest of the X range. To add a sense of width to the bottom half of the car, the BMW X2 plays with the traditional kidney grille and inverts it to create a tapering top and broader lower part. It also imparts a more butch look to BMW favourite shark-nose philosophy, and this is one bit we expect to see become a norm for most BMW X cars of the future. Contributing further to the butch stance are the edgy contours in and around the gaping air dams.
BMW hasn't shared any details on the design of the interior or the mechanicals under the hood, but we expect both to be largely similar to the BMW X1. Which also means that the X2 could be built on the same Mini underpinnings as the X1. But that's fodder for the speculation mill.
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