2018 BMW X2 Spied Lapping The Nurburgring, Sounds Like an Understeer Pig

The X1's coupe-ified brother will join the X4 and the X6, with the newcomer set to sport more aggressive styling compared to the other sloping roofline members of the high-riding BMW family.

You can see the X2 tester following an also-camouflaged X1 on the Nordschleife, while the footage also includes a bit of snow. Yes, the Ring weather was that capricious this week.

The low, wide stance of the X2 means that, despite the vehicle losing some of the eye candy-grade design details shown on the concept car (you can check this out in the image gallery below), the machine will still be a looker.

Alas, the front-wheel-drive-based UKL platform, which is shared with models such as the X1, the 2 Series Active Tourer, Grand Tourer and various MINIs, means that the prototype delivers an understeer-heavy soundtrack while being pushed to the limit on the Green Hell.

And, if the X2 is anything like its platform mates, xDrive will solve the problem, but don't expect it to bring the handling past the "conservative" status.

However, given the fact that BMW is now working on the UKL-based next-gen 1 Series, the German engineers could make efforts to spice up the cornering behavior of the architecture for the all-new compact.

The engine compartment will be occupied by the now-familiar three- and four-cylinder units, with the Euro line-up using a 1.5-liter three-pot as a starting point.

At the other end of the range, we'll find the B48 turbo-four, with the 231 PS (228 hp) model possibly being the only one offered in the US (as the 28i). American customers will also receive the Aisin 8-speed auto as standard, while lower trim models offered on the Old Continent will come with a standard six-speed manual.

The Bavarian automaker will unveil the production incarnation of the X2 by the end of the year, or in the first months of the following year, with the SAC set to land as a 2018 model.