We don’t like being the bearer of bad news but the new X2 M35i debuting tomorrow will have less power in Europe than in the United States. BMW has set up a dedicated page for its new M Performance model and it reveals a key number: 296. That’s the amount of horsepower the spicy compact crossover will have on the Old Continent. It perfectly matches the output available in the Euro-spec X1 M35i introduced at the end of June.
As a refresher, the North American-spec X1 M35i packs an extra 16 hp for a grand total of 312 hp. As to why the European version is slightly less potent, it has to do with the more stringent emissions regulations applied in countries part of the European Union. BMW isn’t revealing the torque figure for now but we know from the M Performance X1 that it’s 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) all over the world.
Another important number outed early by BMW M is the time it takes for the X2 M35i to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill. It’s 5.4 seconds, which unsurprisingly matches that of the X1 M35i. The latter is listed at 5.2 seconds in US specification for the 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) run. Regardless of continent, the top speed is likely to be electronically capped at 155 mph (250 km/h) to echo the conventionally shaped crossover.
Looking into the near future, logic tells us the next-generation 1 Series in M135i guise and the 2 Series Gran Coupe in M235i flavor could also have different outputs depending on where they’ll be sold. Even before the X1 M35i, there already was (and still is) a model with less power in Europe than in the United States. We’re talking about the Z4 M40i, which has 335 hp or 382 hp, respectively. The roadster’s region-based power gap is therefore substantially bigger, at 47 hp.
Tomorrow’s unveiling of the second-generation X2 (codenamed U10) will include not only the M Performance model but also the fully electric iX2, likely coming at first in the xDrive30 specification. In the case of the iX1 xDrive30, the dual-motor, zero-emission crossover packs 308 hp and 364 lb-ft (494 Nm). Since BMW USA isn’t selling the iX1 locally, we wouldn’t get our hopes high the situation will be any different with its sleeker cousin.
Source: BMW M
