The 2023 BMW X4 SUV is an excellent example of how SUVs have changed over the past 20 or so years. Older SUVs were 4×4 wannabes but the BMW X4 SUV looks and feels comfortable in its metal skin.  It has the characteristic sporty SUV styling that looks muscular, although the roofline is distinctively smooth and curvy, taking it away from the boxier SUVs of yesterday.  It’s still got the classic BMW kidney grille, but it’s been tweaked. The air intakes are huge, oddly reminding me of the heat pits on a snake, especially given their position below the narrowed LED lights (this might be deliberate).  

Glimpsed from the rear, the BMW X4 SUV might not look very large. Indeed, it’s not massive as far as modern SUVs go, measuring 4.751 metres long and 1.621 metres high.  However, it feels big enough as it sits prettily on its alloy wheels (19 inches in the 20i, 20 inches in the 30i and 21 inches in the M40i). After all, size doesn’t count as much as what you can do with that size.

The 2023 BMW X4 comes in three variants, all labelled with BMW’s classic numerical coding. Specifically, you can choose among the xDrive 20i, the xDrive 30i and the xDrive M40i.  All vehicles make the most of the xDrive all-wheel drive. 

The X4 xDrive 20i is the smallest of the trio, with (as the name suggests) a 2-litre petrol engine. Though it’s little, it’s pretty nippy and a respectable contender, with a maximum power output of 135 kW at 5000–6500 rpm and a torque curve that peaks at a juicy 300 Nm across a very broad low rev range (1350–4000 rpm).  It clocks up a top speed of 215 km/h, and it can get from a standstill to 100 km in around 8.4 seconds.  The combined fuel consumption figure that the testing team got in the lab is 7.7 L/100 km.

Taking things up a notch, the X4 xDrive 30i is a smidge heavier in terms of unladen weight than its little brother.  In terms of cubic centimetres, the 30i has the same engine size as the 20i but manages to do more with it (once again, it’s not size that counts but what you do with it).  To be precise, the BMW X4 xDrive 30i pumps out 185 kW of power (50 kW more than its little brother), albeit across a narrower range (5200–6500 rpm).  The torque is also juicier, reaching a maximum of 350 Nm across 1450–4800 rpm).  As you would expect, it’s faster (a top speed somewhere between 253 and 242 km/h and a 0–100 km/h time of 8.3 or even 6.4 seconds – although the manufacturers don’t specify this, I suspect the different stats are for whether you rely on the automatic transmission or the manual gear selectors) and it’s thirstier as well, slurping 7.9 L/100 km (combined). 

The crème de la crème in the 2023 BMW X4 range is the X4 xDrive M40i.  M might be only one letter but in the world of BMW, it’s how you spell performance. The engine is a 3-litre affair, but it’s been given all the treatment so it can treat you.  What it can treat you to, in terms of the numbers is a crackling 285 kW at 5800–6500 rpm and a whomping big 500 Nm of torque across a very wide range: 1900–5000 rpm.  In terms of feelings, it treats you to plenty of driving fun.  I’m a sucker for a bit of acceleration, so I rather like the 0–100 km/h time of a tad under 5 seconds (4.5–4.9 s). The top speed in the M40i is 250 km/h, and I suspect that it’s been limited to stop things getting too crazy.  Surprisingly, the combined fuel consumption is only 8.9 L/100 km under ideal conditions.  Truly, this is a small(ish) SUV with a big heart, proving again that size doesn’t matter if you’ve got a big heart the way that this does.  

Inside, the BMW X4 has been set up for comfort and convenience.  The interior has plenty in the way of storage, and the three-zone climate control system keeps everybody cosy.  Wireless charging is available for phones, and if the phones in question have Apple’s CarPlay or Android Auto installed, then the BMW X4 is compatible with this.  The infotainment system can be controlled with the help of the 12.3-inch touchscreen so what you want to hear comes out of the six-speaker system.  Life is made very easy for the driver with plenty of useful assistance features, such as cruise control with a downhill braking function, Cockpit Plus with navigation, and the Parking Assistance Plus feature (which includes distance control and a full-surround camera view), autonomous emergency braking (with a pedestrian detection function) and driver aids such as the lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, an alert for rear cross-traffic and even traffic sign recognition. That’s just in the baseline 20i, with the 30i throwing in width-adjustable backrests in the driver’s seat (why has nobody thought of this before?), leather upholstery, a 12-speaker sound system and a front cross-traffic alert.  Step it up a notch to the M40i and you also get an extra four speakers, a heads-up display, heated front seats and a panoramic sunroof.

All in all, the 2023 BMW X4 is a great luxury SUV that will take you everywhere you want to go (and then a few more places) and will do it in style.

The current 2023 BMW X4 models include:

• 2023 BMW X4 xDrive 20i
• 2023 BMW X4 xDrive 30i
• 2023 BMW X4 xDrive M40i

For any more information on the new 2023 BMW X4 or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of BMW dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!