The BMW X4 Coupé Crossover has lasted all of two generations.
When premium crossover coupés first started being sold in Malaysia, I was personally a little surprised that the niche had such a compelling business case here. Not only was the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupé a CKD model but we also got the X4 in locally-assembled form before the pandemic. Well, whatever promise these models held, it looks like on a global level things are starting to change and these models are disappearing almost as suddenly as they appeared. The X4 we just mentioned? It’s not being renewed for a third generation.
Death Of A Nameplate
It’s not everyday a major premium automaker decides to completely kill off a nameplate. Yes, the BMW i8 and i3 were both recently given the axe but that’s somewhat understandable given how experimental those cars were and how quickly electrification has advanced over the years. The X4, on the other hand is a somewhat mainstream product – at least mainstream enough for the company to set up local production in our little corner of the world. Plus, unlike the i3 and i8, the X4 has been around for more than one generation, first appearing in 2014 with the F26 internal designation.
This current model is the 2nd generation facelift, known as the G02 and it has been in production since 2018. Given the 4 year gap between generation 1 and 2, it’s likely BMW was quizzed about generation 3 when they decided to give Motor1‘s Italian branch the news of its demise. Another reason why questions about the generation 3 X4 have started to come up is because its standard body-style cousin, the new BMW X3, was only just revealed in June.
Staggered Rival Releases
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz has already renewed the GLC Coupé, revealing its new generation model in 2023 and even marketing the car here as a fully-imported model this time around. It remains to be seen if local assembly is viable, but what’s clear is that BMW will leave this space uncontested. Whether that means more sales for Mercedes-Benz or a product with limited appeal remains to be seen.
