The new BMW X2 has a Bionicle's face for a bottom

Like the new X6, it also features a sportier nose by comparison to its frumpier X1 sibling, with black highlighting hanging down connecting the sportier kidney grills to the lower intake section. The front by comparison to the rear is, shall we say, digestible. The rear is challenging, with weird geometric lights like a Bionicle’s eyes and, on the M35 version, quite an aggressive double-humped spoiler protruding off the boot lid. BMW honestly could have nabbed that one off the new Corvette Z06. It’s a tale as old as time, though. BMW looks weird, will sell anyway. It’s bigger, brasher and flashier than ever before and that’s the golden formula. Moving on.

M Sport trim per BMW’s most recent ‘coupe’ offerings like the X6, is also now standard. And indeed, we do have the sportiest-looking not-quite-M we’ve yet seen, with the M35i getting very M-like quad exhausts. On the inside the sportiness continues, with M3-style paddles, alcantara, bucket seats and a steering wheel stripe. This really is a small hot crossover SUV, or at least BMW wants it to be. Happily, BMW’s excellent curved display – featuring driver and infotainment screens – makes an appearance packed with BMW OS9.

While the 300PS (221kW) it possesses is pretty impressive, that power comes from a very not M-like twin-turbo four-cylinder engine, with motivation going to all four wheels. We suspect the sDrive20i is probably the petrol pick, especially if you’re more urban-based, with 170PS (125kW) from a 1.5-litre three-cylinder paired with a 19PS 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

The big news is of course the iX2, which is the latest all-electric BMW option, following in its trend of offering BEV as a version, rather than an entirely separate car. The iX2 xDrive30 packs 313PS thanks to two electric motors. A 266-mile max range coming courtesy of a 64.8kWh battery usable battery, which can be charged at up to 130kW. In other words, you can make the 10-80 percent jump in under 30 minutes, when charging at max speed.

So what about pricing? Small it may be but this is a BMW and this is 2023. So yes, while the X2 starts at £39,365, if you want the sporty M35i, that’ll be £47,395 thanks very much. For the iX2? £56,540. To think this car is a little smaller than the old Land Rover Freelander… Oh well, the last X2 sold over 380,000 examples around the world. We don’t expect this new one to be any different.