2015 BMW X4

PREVIEW

BMW excels at answering questions no one asked. First came the X6, a large, squat crossover with coupelike lines that baffled some people. BMW calls it a "sport activity vehicle," a quiet acknowledgement that the X6, unlike the more practical X3 and X5, sacrifices utility for style. The 2015 BMW X4 will carry the same theme in a smaller, more affordable package. 

Like its larger design inspiration, the X4 is more about high-riding style than utility. Does a market exist for a fashionable, limited-use crossover? BMW thinks so. The company's chairman says X models account for nearly a third of BMW brand sales.

They might like the smaller X4 even more. It will ride atop the same platform as the X3 and be built in the same South Carolina factory as other X models. The X4 will share the X3's wheelbase, but it will sit 1.5 inches lower and wider. The Concept X4 features a long hood and short overhangs that lend it a dynamic stance, while borrowing a similar greenhouse and the shallow rear window line and bulbous back end of the X6. Sharp panel creases and a pronounced beltline even crib a bit from the Z4's language.

The first X4 model may offer only a 300-horsepower 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder to emphasize the X4's sporting nature. A six-speed manual transmission would reinforce that notion, but an eight-speed automatic with manual shift function is more likely. A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and all-wheel-drive option should arrive not long after the X4's initial launch.

On one hand, BMW's move to make a smaller X6 seems cynical, an attempt to wring dry a segment that's neither SUV nor four-door "coupe." Perhaps that's why the automaker has dubbed the X6 and X4 concepts as "sports activity vehicles." The 2013 Range Rover Evoque has found success as a compact luxury crossover, so there's no reason to think BMW won't find an eager market for a more windswept, sport-minded X3. Then again, BMW will need to infuse the X4 with mojo that the 3 Series in its various guises (wagon, Gran Turismo) doesn't deliver already, a flavor beyond moderate off-pavement ability.

Look for the 2015 BMW X4 to debut this spring with sales to begin in summer starting at around $45,000. Check back for a full review of the BMW X4, including specs, driving impressions and buying advice as it becomes available.