Fans of fast SUVs may have recently been distracted by the bonkers (but green) Tesla Model X, but now BMW has let its M performance division fettle the X4. The new M40i gets a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six with 355bhp, and gives the Porsche Macan Turbo something to think about.
Although this isn't a full blown M-car in the vein of the scorching X5 M and X6 M, the figures aren't to be sniffed at. The X4 M40i is capable of 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds (0.1 seconds down on the Porsche) and is limited to 155mph.
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As is always the way with BMW, the efficiency numbers are just as competitive. The M40i just slips under the 200g/km of CO2 barrier (beating the Macan Turbo) and claims a decent combined figure of 33mpg.
The M40i isn't all about the numbers, as M-Performance have given the chassis a going over. Sportier springs and damper rates combine with a rear-biased four-wheel drive system and active sports exhaust to give it the dynamics and noise to match the power. The bad news in all this? The UK isn't a confirmed market to receive the car yet.
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The X4 M40i will probably go on sale in Europe at the start of 2016, but the UK's diesel-only X4 lineup doesn't currently make room for a hot petrol variant. That could change once the ramifications of the VW emissions scandal hit home, as buyers could become more wary of diesel models. For now, those yearning for a fast petrol X4 will have to keep their fingers crossed.
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