Paris Motor Show: New BMW X2 concept shows daring lines for an SUV

We've been pretty disparaging about coupe-versions of crossovers and SUVs in the past, and with good reason frankly. BMW kicked the whole sorry business off with the original X6, and that was quickly followed by the X4, the Merc GLC and GLE Coupes and others. Ugly things, all of them and less practical and more expensive than their upright counterparts.

Now though, we might just be getting a coupe crossover that’s actually better looking than the SUV that sired it. BMW has just revealed the X2 Concept at the Paris motor show and it’s set to join BMW’s burgeoning compact crossover lineup next year, alongside the X1 and the Mini Countryman.

All three cars share a common platform, but while the X1 has been rightly praised for its simple, pleasingly vertical styling, this X2 Concept is altogether more sleek and swoopy and… gorgeous?

BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk says that it's a "vehicle for active people looking for a combination of enjoyment and practicality." There are, on this concept at any rate, almost no exterior panels shared with the X1, and the whole shape appears pleasingly sucked down over its wheels. There's a little bit of VW Scirocco in the rear windowline and more than a hint of the nineties Isuzu Vehi-Cross in the overall leaning-back shape.

The concept also gets a bigger, bolder, deeper twin-kidney grille than the X1 and those piercing looking headlamps are laser units, which should give the kids something to chat about from the back seats. Those are 21” wheels, which should be available on the production version, and while some of the styling touches are expected to be toned down a little for the showroom the overalls shape and proportions are spot on, according to BMW.

The engine lineup when it reaches those showrooms will mirror that of the X1, so the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel in 150hp, 190hp and 230hp forms will be the core of the range, with the 150hp X2 18d expected to be the best seller. There will be a turbocharged petrol M-Sport version too, though – featuring a tweaked up 2.0-litre turbo with 300hp.

"The BMW Concept X2 combines the fast-moving body language and low-slung proportions of a coupe with the robust construction of an X model," says BMW Design boss Karim Habib, who worked on the car with Adrian van Hooydonk. "This is a sporty vehicle with a bold character, and it allows us to open up some fascinating new design possibilities for the BMW brand."