They say it’s about the journey, not the destination. Reaffirming just that, is BMW’s latest.

Our week kickstarted with a set of keys to a model unlike any other in the BMW range. Distinctly youth-orientated and designed with urban living in mind is the 2018 X2 sDrive20i.

At first glance you’ll notice it’s considerably lower, sleeker, and sharper looking than it’s sister model – the X1. While it shares the same headlamps, the X2 hosts a few unique features of its own. Unlike it’s SUV predecessors, the X2’s grille has been impressively designed with a wider base than at the top, giving the X2 an accentuated road presence.

Drop behind the wheel of the X2 and straight away you’ll notice the 20mm lower driving position. Here, you’ll feel apart of the car rather than riding on top of it – something which could be felt to a slight extent in the 2018 Range Rover Velar.

Exuding a sense of composure is what the X2 does best. This is most appreciated cruising along the highway, where you’ll notice how well the cabin is isolated from droning road-noise, engine vibration and wind buffeting at higher speeds.

Under its metal skin the X2 houses a powerful 2.0 litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engine that produces 141kW of power and 280Nm of torque. For ‘non-car people’ that isn’t going to make a lot of sense but in an effort to keep you in the loop, BMW says their 20i will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.7 seconds. For it’s compact SUV category, it’s sure to impress when overtaking or darting through urban traffic.

The X2 is set to rival the likes of Audi’s Q2 which launched in 2016 and is currently dominating this niche market sector. Although the Q2 was inherently Audi, it did bring a few new design cues to the market which BMW seem to have taken note of. Like the Q2, the X2 doesn’t stray too far from it’s X series family.

The striking exterior is unique to the 2018 model but it’s interior – not so much. Borrowed from it’s sibling model, the X1, inside the cabin you’ll find it hard to differentiate between both models. To note is the contrast stitching found on the dashboard and seats – its included as standard. There’s also an ambient light package which allows you to give your cabin hues of orange, lilac or mint. Alternatively, opt for a panoramic roof and flood the cabin full of natural light.

The X2 has an impressively intuitive 6.5 inch touchscreen where most of your user settings can be found. Additionally, the full-color heads-up display will project driving information such as current speed and navigation in high definition for the driver.

Optionally, BMW’s Driver Pack includes lane departure warning, pedestrian warning with city braking function and active cruise control system with stop & go function. BMW goes a step further with their traffic jam assistant which assesses your X2’s proximity to other vehicles and controls lane-keeping tasks. This system works as long as the driver has at least one hand on the steering wheel.

It would seem that BMW has most boxes ticked with their latest 2018 X2. Although, don’t just take our word for it, we suggest getting behind the wheel and taking it for spin yourself.

You can do so here.