The Millennial Chariot — BMW X2

The kidney grilles have been given a different perspective to make the front look broader, and the cut of the headlamps and the air dam provide faceted elements that strive for an organic, albeit sculpted disposition.

And if you can’t quite make out the difference in the sea of SUVs on the road, BMW has added its badge on the C pillars of the X2, so from every vantage point you’ll be able to identify it.

Once inside, the familiarity of the BMW environment is embellished with alcantara seats that may not be too comfortable if you’re wearing shorts. The extra generous front seats are uncomfortable for those with shorter femurs and extremely supportive for those endowed with more.

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The mix of interior finishes is an attempt to add more texture to the cabin in this M Sport X package. The aluminium hexagon anthracite trim does break the monotony of plastic, as do the yellow stitching. Ambient lighting can be changed — a choice of six colours — to suit your mood, though quite often the novelty of this wears off even for the children.

For The Digital Natives?

But it’s not electric and it isn’t quite digitally endowed.

If the aim is to reach a younger audience, it’s surprisingly lacking in the elements that would make the digital natives feel at home. Instead of the customisable digital displays, the more conventional fixed, round dials dominate the dashboard. They allow some customisation, but very little, compared to what they are accustomed to via mobile phones, tablets and the variety of digital devices.

There is a small fixed screen in the centre of the dashboard. It does have a touchscreen but is not within reach of the driver who should be paying attention to the road. A head up display would have helped.

Surprisingly, for the energy-conscious millenial market, the cruise control feature has been removed. Or maybe there just isn’t enough free-flowing open roads in Singapore? There is a parking assistant onboard, for those who can’t get their X2 aligned with a lot. And the annoying auto start/stop function which might save you 4% on fuel, still makes its presence felt.

The X2 comes with Connected App, which lets you synchronise some features with your mobile phone. And to keep the rest of the community in the know, Share Live Trip lets a selected contact have your details and estimated time of arrival.

That said, the X2 does come well loaded compared to other models. And it has an energetic, purring engine which displays its desire to make things exciting when the revs hit the 2,500 mark. It’s not a particularly fast car, but it does give you an exaggerated sense of propulsion when needed.

When pushed it displays a very slight oversteer that’s not too alarming, but would require some getting used to.

In Eco mode, the delivery is comfortable, and in regular mode, it’s more than adequate. If you’re opting for sport mode will have to be judicious with their right foot. The desire to pull ahead could make for an uncomfortable ride and drive.

The rear seat is comfortable without being too cosy. The enlarged Hofmeister kink on the C pillars creates more glass, which lets in more light at the back.

Would the younger set find this attractive? In terms of look and performance, possibly. But if their drive towards a shared economy continues, then the X2 at close to $200,000 would be weighed up against many other factors.