The latest addition to the BMW fold is a concept, but it appears to be a concept in name only. The BMW Concept X4 brings to the X3 size class an X6-like Sports Activity Coupe (SAC), as BMW styles it.
Looking very nearly ready for production--not wild and conceptual in any way--the Concept X4 promises the same things the X6 did upon its debut, but in a more compact form factor.
Like the X6 when new, our eyes have not yet adjusted to the Concept X4's mixture of ute-like height and coupe-like curves. We grew to love the X6, however, especially in 3.0-liter six-cylinder and monstrous X6 M forms, so we are willing to give the X4 the benefit of the doubt--and of time.
Comparing the X4 to the X3, it's a touch wider (about 1.3 inches), a touch lower (about 1.5 inches), and exactly the same length--proportions you'd expect from a sportier take on the same platform. Wheelbase is also identical.
In concept form, the X4 wears 21-inch alloy wheels, an element of bling that will surely be right-sized to something more like the 18-inch wheels found on the X3 should it reach production. Again, however, the X4's sportier demeanor might justify wheels as large as 20 inches, the better to fit low-profile tires while filling the wheel wells.
Key design details reflect the X6 in many respects, though the newer X4 offers an updated front-end, with full LED headlights on this concept. Large air intakes, with inserts that match the kidney grille, give the Concept X4 a more aggressive stance that matches the wide track and lower height.
From the side, the downward-sloping roof line, dynamic character lines along the sides, and flared wheel arches all radiate the Concept X4's sporting intentions--if not abilities. At the rear, more LEDs compose the tail lights, while the rear apron mimics the front's intakes with cut outs for the exhaust pips.
![BMW X4 concept leaked BMW X4 concept leaked](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/bmw-x4-concept-leaked_100424383_l.jpg)
BMW X4 concept leaked
We'll have to withhold even preliminary judgment of the Concept X4's pulchritude (or lack thereof) until we can see it in person--and until we've had some time to get our minds around BMW's latest division of its lineup into yet closer intervals.