Volvo XC60 vs BMW X4

After nearly ten years, the Volvo XC60 finally gets an update for 2018. And what an update it is: Volvo’s best-selling vehicle is now built on an all-new platform, has a totally different look and feel, and offers an optional plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

While the new XC60 is second to none among luxury crossovers when it comes to style, safety, and technology, that’s still not enough to beat the popular Audi Q5 and BMW X3, which have also been updated for 2018.

The Volvo’s semi-autonomous driving mode, Scandinavian styling cues, and amazing sound system are truly incredible—but they can’t make up for confusing menus, a high price tag, and lackluster hybrid performance.

That means the new XC60 likely won’t attract BMW, Audi, Lexus, and Mercedes buyers—but it will certainly satisfy anyone who wants something a bit out of the ordinary.

From fastback sedans to coupe-inspired crossovers like the BMW X4, automakers have spent the last decade forging new ground with “in-between” vehicle segments.

BMW classifies the X4 (and the larger X6, for that matter) as a Sport Activity Coupe. If you are up on your corporate jargon, that might seem like a sly rebranding of Sport Utility Vehicle, but minus the Utility. That's not a coincidence. BMW came up with this terminology when it introduced the X6 for the 2008 model year. It hints at "SUV," but doesn’t commit to the utility, so BMW can suggest versatility without actually delivering on that promise.

The first-generation X4 was introduced for the 2014 model year. And despite my derision of the SUV-coupe idea, BMW would not have introduced the second generation this year if it were not popular. It will compete with a similar fastback SUV, the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Coupe, but in a broader sense, the X4 has very tight competition. Other popular compact luxury SUVs include the all-new 2019 Acura RDX, Audi Q5, Porsche Macan, Jaguar F-Pace, and Lexus NX. The X4 even has a competitor in its own lineup—the similarly sized X3.

But the 2019 BMW X4 is slightly longer, taller, and wider than the model it replaces. BMW hopes this will result in a bit more cabin space and an actually usable rear seat. Will it be enough to make buyers choose the X4 over its competition, even from within its own lineup?