BMW X4 M40i, car review: Great four-wheel drive – and we’re not going to get it

The changes really alter this already pretty impressive vehicle

Does BMW know best? The UK likes and buys the X4 xDrive35d, with its 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine. And BMW have decided that what we don’t need, or won’t buy, is a tweaked and uprated version with a big turbocharged petrol engine and the M badge.

The changes really alter this already pretty impressive vehicle. The big news is the inclusion of a 3.0-litre six-pot in-line petrol engine. After going through the M division, the engine comes out with 355bhp on tap, which is on a par with the Porsche Macan GTS – doubtless the target.

The power is matched by 343lb ft of torque which is spread across a wide range from 1350rpm up to 5250rpm. Feedling through the eight-speed M-Steptronic auto box, you have a huge spread of seamless power. Luscious. That is enough to get you to 62mph in just 4.9sec, in something that looks big and heavy.

The chassis and suspension have come in for some work, everything from stiffer springs, altered electronics on the adaptive dampers and bigger anti-roll bars. With a more rearward bias to the power delivery compared to the X4 xDrive35d, you have quite a package.

BMW X4 M40i

Price: N/A 
0-62mph: 4.9sec 
Top Speed: 155mph 
Engine: 6-cyl, in-line, 2979cc, turbocharged, petrol 
Power: 355bhp at 5800rpm 
Torque: 343lb ft at 1350-5250rpm 
Kerb weight: 1840kg 
Gearbox: 8-spd automatic 
Economy: 32.8mpg (combined) CO2 199g/km

And so it proves to be. Whether you are pottering round town, blasting along on a long journey or going point-to-point, the X4 M40i excels. The engine is a more refined proposition than the diesel and adds in a delightful soundtrack through its freeflow exhaust.

This thing has muscle, but grace and sharpness too. The whole driveline is delightfully smooth and seamless. The whole experience is noticeably higher than in the diesel version, thanks not just to the engine but to that uprated and complete chassis and handling package.

So BMW have made an even better X4. No question about it. If they brought it to the UK that would really challenge the Macan GTS, but for now the Porsche challenge goes unanswered.