Following a slew of launches from Mercedes Benz, BMW do not want to be left out of the party when it comes to small luxury crossovers.

Even though the Bavarian company had the BMW X1, which recently received a major update, it was seemingly all alone at this end of the segment. There has been a lot of rumors about BMW offering the BMW X2 in order to complete the range. It now seems to be a reality since the company was caught testing this small luxury crossover with heavy camouflage. The BMW X2 is expected to debut at the upcoming Paris motor show.

However, it will only reach the United States at least after 12 months; for this reason, the vehicle is expected to be named as the 2018 BMW X2. The vehicle is expected to be a smaller version of the BMW X4 in terms of design language. In other words, it would be a sportier version of the BMW X1. The new UKL front-wheel-drive platform is expected to bring down costs in future BMW models significantly. The upcoming 2018 BMW X2 could benefit immensely from this platform. BMW has been unable to compete with the likes of Mercedes and Audi due to the lack of front wheel drive architecture up until now.

The Paris motor show is unlikely to see the official launch of the BMW X2. The vehicle will only be promoted as a concept with some dressing to hide the basic design. The vehicle is not expected to resume major revamps in terms of powertrain. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine which has been used in several BMW entry level models is expected to be offered on the 2018 BMW X2 without much changes. It is a powertrain capable of 228 bhp and it is likely to be mated with the same eight speed ZF transmission. Just like the X1 xDrive 28i, the 2018 BMW X2 is likely to receive all wheel drive as standard.

The slightly sportier positioning of the 2018 BMW X2 is likely to see a small jump in the price is compared to the BMW X1 xDrive 28i, which is available at $35,795. Over the years, BMW has received a lot of positive feedback with regard to its coupe like positioning of SUVs. Models like the BMW X6 have been bestsellers in almost every region, while the BMW X4 has also received good response.