2024 BMW X2 reviews: A baby crossover matures in size, power

The second-generation BMW X2 is bigger in nearly every way.

It debuted at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo and went on sale in the U.S. in the spring.

The baby crossover was launched in 2018 to target active, younger buyers. It is basically a BMW X1 but with a cropped rear roofline designed to give it a sporty, coupe-like profile.

The 2024 model is 7.6 inches longer (179.8 inches), 0.8 inches wider (72.6 inches) and 2.5 inches taller (62.6 inches) than the first-generation X2.

BMW has updated the X2's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The base xDrive28i variant generates 241 hp and goes from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. The M35i xDrive carries a more potent four-cylinder that delivers 312 hp and a 0-to-60 time of 5.2 seconds.

Other updates include a larger central display and a small electronic gear selector.

Pricing including shipping starts at $42,995 for the 2024 X2 xDrive28i and $52,395 for the 2024 X2 M35i xDrive.

We've rounded up some early reviews from the automotive press.

"When you fire up the 2024 BMW X2 M35i, you realize you're embarking on a driver-focused experience. Despite its small displacement, the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine delivers robust performance, with 312 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

"It makes itself known loud and clear the moment it spins to life. Pull down on the tiny shifter mounted just ahead of the armrest, and as soon as you're in motion, you can feel the stiffness of the X2 M35i's suspension too.

"On the go, the M35i jostles and judders with every road imperfection. It's not a painful ride, as enough compliance ensures the SUV reacts smoothly to your inputs and stays controlled and settled even on rough roads. However, it is decidedly firm. Even with the adaptive suspension set on its most comfortable setting, the X2 is far from soft.

"When slotted into Sport+ mode, the X2 M35i's acceleration response is similarly sharp. There's just a moment's hesitation from the turbocharger as you push on the gas pedal, but the X2 accelerates strongly. The brakes are likewise sharp and grippy, and when you use them, numerous pops from the exhaust accompany deceleration.

"I found the steering excessively firm in Sport+ mode. Turning that thick wheel resulted in too much resistance for good driving feel and feedback. Thankfully, a customizable mode let me dial that resistance down and create a more engaging and less tiring driving experience better suited for longer hauls at higher velocities.

"As you scrub speed, the seven-speed transmission does an excellent job of shedding gears to ensure the engine is where it should be when you're ready to get back on the accelerator. A set of big, sporty-looking shift paddles nestle behind the steering wheel, but as mentioned above, you likely won't need them. Whether accelerating hard or diving into a fast, sweeping turn, the transmission always picks just the right gear for you.

"Slot over to any of the tamer drive modes, and that transmission does a great job of calmly and coolly easing from one gear to the next. That's impressive, considering the former X2 made do with an automatic transmission, and you'd expect a slightly jerkier experience from the new [dual-clutch transmission]. But that's not the case at all."

— Tim Stevens, J.D. Power

"We had an interesting test route for this car: Diving, writhing roads through the vertical villages and lush hills of southwestern Portugal. In the few small straightaways we hit, the car pulled proudly from a jog to a sprint and its huge brakes had no problem pulling the car back down to a stop. If anything, the bite of the M35i's brakes took a little getting used to before the risk of spilling my coffee at a stoplight subsided.

"Around bends at a jaunty pace, it felt controlled. The transmission's responsiveness to paddle-shift inputs was satisfying enough to keep me playing with them. But over rough roads, the car doesn't really relax. Potholes, bumps, and lumps hit you pretty hard. I remember once driving through Brooklyn in a then-new BMW X4 M Competition and thinking it was unbearably rough but forgiving it for being the max-attack Comp model. On this little M35i, I think the automaker should have gone a little softer on ride and baked in driver engagement elsewhere.

"But even as I say that, I guess I could just opt for the chiller-spec xDrive28i base car with less power (241 hp, to be exact). That will assuredly ride softer. Though it upsets the purist, the X2 M35i is a type of M car after all. I bet if I'd been driving faster and harder, I could have better appreciated the damper settings and spring rates."

— Andrew P. Collins, The Drive

"BMW says the M35i will do 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds, a full second quicker than the base X2. Beyond that, don't expect the hardcore M experience here. The M35i's steering is precise but electronically numb. The adaptive sport suspension feels slightly busy even in Comfort mode, firming up further in Sport. Despite having one exhaust tip for each cylinder, most of the engine noise you'll hear comes from the stereo system, which adds synthetic verve to the slightly moany tone of the 2.0-liter engine.

"Don't get your hopes up about the dual-clutch either: The transmission takes an age to respond to commands from the paddle shifters. You're better off toggling the gearbox over to S and letting it shift for itself on a winding country road. A long pull of the downshift paddle engages Sport Boost, which throws the engine, transmission, and suspension into their most aggressive modes for 10 seconds — enough to pass a dawdling bus on a snaky two-lane, as I found a few times during my Portuguese drive.

"As for the styling? It's definitely a departure from the rest of BMW's SUV lineup. The X2 is somehow bulbous and angular at the same time. It looks like it's one generation advanced from the X1, more in line with the styling language forged by the outrageous and challenging BMW XM."

— Bob Sorokanich, Motor1.com

"Inside, BMW, like its German cousin Mercedes, has gone over to the bright multi-colored design philosophy. Mercedes loves red and black leather interiors. So too BMW's X2.

"This one is spiffy, indeed, with red leather seats trimmed in black, plus red leather inserts in the door panels along with chrome Harman Kardon stereo speaker grilles. The black textured dash features dimpled metal trim.

"Seats themselves are extremely supportive and wrap the front seat occupants in a luxury grip that includes a manual lower cushion extension to help long-legged drivers. Front seats are heated, as is the steering wheel, but this costs $550 extra, a surprising add-on for a luxury make. Rear seats would easily hold two adults and there's reasonable cargo space under the power rear hatch.

"X2's steering wheel is among the thickest leather-wrapped numbers I've driven, which is great for large-handed folks, but not so comfy for those of us with more dainty digits. I do like the red leather stripe marking the wheel's top center. ...

"Oddly the tilt/telescope steering wheel is manual too when one might expect a power wheel from a major luxury brand.

"The BMW's dash touts a curved dual digital screen so, nice for the driver to see and clear visuals for the instrument panel and info screen. I even could figure out the radio here, so kudos to BMW for improving that. Touchscreens are the way to go, not round knobs on the console. ...

"Under the center stack is a wireless phone charger while overhead is a panoramic sunroof. Both work fine.

"That swept-back windshield and lower roofline does mean this larger X2 has a super thick A-pillar and side mirror combo that blocks side views both directions. Thank goodness for all the safety equipment here to help give a driver more confidence as he or she pulls out in an intersection without aid of stoplights (assuming folks are stopping at them)."

— Mark Savage, WUWM

"The new BMW X2 is an exception to the rule that two is more than one. Based on the same platform as the boxier X1, the subcompact X2 is the slightly less practical, albeit sportier-looking version of BMW's smallest SUV. The second-generation X2 wears an angrier smile and has as many exhaust tips as it does pistons. Both the 241-hp xDrive 28i and M35i xDrive use a turbocharged inline-four cylinder with a dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, but the M adds muscle with 312 horsepower, bigger brakes, and a higher top speed. It also comes with many M-powered blue, purple, and red trimmings that typically accompany BMW's motorsport-fueled subbrand. Regardless of which version you choose, you'll find that the X2 drives much the same as its X1 sibling while offering an extra measure of exclusivity and style for those who are fans of its sloped-roof shape."

— Austin Irwin, Car and Driver

"We wouldn't call its suspension tuning uncomfortable, per se, but it's certainly stiff and lies awfully close to that realm. The shocks are electronically controlled by a digital brain, but most of what it does happens without driver intervention and depends on the selected drive mode. As standard, those include Personal Mode, a Sport Mode that firms up the steering and increases the "engine" sounds that are pumped through the speakers, and Efficient Mode, which relaxes the engine and ekes out additional efficiency wherever possible. Customers who opt to sign up for BMW Digital Premium also get Expressive Mode, Relax Mode and Digital Art Mode, which allow for greater personalization of vehicle systems that goes beyond mechanical/drive elements.

"While the front strut and rear three-link suspension designs look similar to the old X1 and X2, they are completely redesigned and have recalculated geometry to be more rigid, thereby improving overall vehicle responsiveness. Having recently driven a slightly older BMW in Europe that's similarly based on a front-drive chassis, I'm happy to report that BMW's latest X2 feels like it's picked up greater overall rigidity, which helps the speed-sensitive steering feel solid and direct. Similarly direct are the brakes, with an M-compound package that brings four-piston, fixed-calipers on 15.2-inch drilled discs at the front and single-piston, floating-calipers on 13.0-inch discs at the rear. Initial bite is extremely strong, so much so we had to adjust our braking foot throughout the first half of the day to account for their forcefulness. The 20-inch alloy wheels wear Pirelli P Zero tires in 245/40 size. And yes, those small sidewalls are one reason for the sometimes-harsh ride over rough pavement.

"On the positive side, the extended wheelbase of the new X2 means it's less hypersensitive front-to-rear over bumps. The greater width offers strong cornering grip, and the stiffened structure means it settles more quickly, helped by new frequency-selective dampers with an additional sleeve designed to reduce unwanted suspension lift, and rebound valving that helps smooth small bumps. The test car's optional sport seats are well bolstered, but still fit my husky-sized frame comfortably, and their grippy surface held me in place when pushing the X2 through the twisty Portuguese roads outside Lisbon."

— Jeremy Korzeniewski, Autoblog