Beauty or beast?

The first X4 always struck me as an afterthought, a quickly pieced-together alter-ego of the X3, intended to be a more affordable alternative to the well-received X6. But while it had the coupé lines and SUV pedigree, it was lacking poise, and just a touch of luxury.

With the new model, BMW has remedied all its past shortcomings. The X4 is now a fully-fledged model in its own right, and although it falls slap-bang in the middle of the Bavarian automaker’s expanded SUV range, it’s right up there with the