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AUTO REVIEW
2017 BMW X4
By Steve Schutz, MD
The BMW factory in Spartanburg, S.C. single U.S. plant, including every X5 and X6 a platform, engine, and transmission with an
is quite a place. Open since 1994, the Spar- you see doing all kinds of crazy things on equivalent X5, BMW engineers used every
tanburg plant currently pumps out about those Russian dashcam YouTube videos. (It’s electronic trick in the book to make the X6
1,400 crossovers every day and has produced never an X3 or X4, don’t ask me why. And sportier — think quicker throttle response,
a total of almost 4 million vehicles. please don’t try to tell me I’m the only one higher RPM shift points, and firmer suspen-
who watches dashcam videos on YouTube.) sion settings — and it was enough to get
A few interesting facts about this impres- yours truly to move out of haterville.
sive facility: It was BMW’s first full manu- On to the subject of this month’s review,
facturing facility outside of Germany and its the Spartanburg-made X4 crossover, a Not surprisingly, the X4 looks a lot like
first U.S. production facility. It was the first coupe-ish sibling of the mid-size BMW X3 the X6. But while the larger vehicle has a
automobile manufacturing plant in the SUV. If you’re thinking, “Gee, didn’t BMW more aggressive look, probably because of
United States to use greener water-based (in- do the same thing when they made the X6 its wider stance, the more diminutive X4’s
stead of high solvent) paints. It uses a landfill out of the X5?”, the answer is yes. design is softer and less assertive. The
methane “Gas to Energy” program that pro- coupe-like profile obviously compromises
vides 50 percent of the plant’s total energy As regular readers may recall, when the X6 rear-seat headroom, but it enables the in-
requirements. Close to 9,000 employees was launched in 2008, I was not enthusias- clusion of a rear hatch, which gives the X4
work there, making it the third largest pri- tic. After all, it was essentially an X5 SUV more utility than a 3-series sedan. (During
vate employer in South Carolina. with fewer seats and a lot less luggage space. my week with it, I used the X4 to carry my
What’s the point? And then I drove it and mountain bike and all of my riding gear,
Currently, all X3, X4, X5, and X6 was surprised at how different BMW made and it all fit easily.)
crossovers sold worldwide are made in this the driving experience. While an X6 shares
44 San Antonio Medicine • May 2017
