The 2017 North American International Auto Show will feature a few BMW vehicles including the BMW X2 Compact Sports Activity Vehicle Concept. While no technical information is available, the BMW X2 Compact Sports Activity Vehicle Concept appears to point towards the future design language BMW may use in the near future. While certain design elements smack of BMW’s past, like the Hofmeister kink on the rear quarter glass, the overall character of the BMW X2 Compact Sports Activity Vehicle Concept looks fresh.
“The BMW Concept X2 is a vehicle for active people looking for a combination of enjoyment and practicality,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “The concept displays a new and exciting facet of the BMW brand within the compact segment.”
BMW is fully dedicated to competing in the rapidly growing crossover market.
The design of the BMW Concept X2 fuses apparent contradictions into a single coherent statement.
“The BMW Concept X2 combines the fast-moving body language and low-slung proportions of a coupe with the robust construction of an X model. This is a sporty vehicle with a bold character, and it allows us to open up some fascinating new design possibilities for the BMW brand,” said Karim Habib, head of BMW Design.
From BMW’s press release, this is how they describe the X2:
The upper section of the car’s flanks is dominated by sporty design elements. The elongated roofline and slim window graphic create a stretched feel. The glasshouse tapers towards the rear, forming an athletic shoulder section. The window graphic surrounds and integrated two-piece mirror bases (both made from brushed aluminium) add an extra touch of class. The thickness of the aluminium profile plays a contrasting role here. The window graphic is rounded off by a dynamic interpretation of the hallmark. Like the logo on the C-pillar – a classically sporty coupe design cue straight out of the BMW history books – this represents a singularly unmistakable detail. The large, air-channelling roof spoiler in body color lies flat over the blackened rear window. Extending from the C-pillars, it gives the rear of the BMW Concept X2 its sporty contours.
Lower down the sides of the car, customary X-model features hog the limelight. Muscular surfaces, large wheel arches and stylistic underfloor protection around the door sills form an intriguing contrast with the dynamic elements further up. Focusing for a moment on more detailed features, the surfaces of the car’s flanks bring together large, smoothly modelled sections with precise edges, showcasing the car’s athletic presence. The dramatic surfacing also emphasizes the almost squared-off wheel arches familiar from the car’s BMW X stablemates. In them sit large, 21-inch light-alloy wheels, whose striking, double-spoke, bi-color design with a strong sense of three-dimensionality continues the contrast between dynamic appeal and solidity into the car’s details. Tires with chunky treads point to the potential for fun off the beaten track, while door sills in body color with integral hexagonal elements set the seal on the robust appearance of the car’s sides at their lowest point.
Expect to see the BMW X2 Compact Sports Activity Vehicle Concept covered at the 2017 NAIAS (North American International Auto Show).
