Month: May 2018

Samuel Axon

This new Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 is the first convertible in the XPS 15 line, but that’s not the most interesting thing about it.

Since 2010, Dell’s XPS 15 has been a reliable, 15-inch performance workhorse and a light gaming option for users who aren’t impressed by the over-the-top designs of dedicated gaming laptops. Last year’s model, for example, impressed with strong performance from the discrete GeForce GTX 1050 GPU. But discrete GPUs have many downsides. They take up space, use lots of energy, and generate a lot of heat, which impacts both portability and battery life.

"Subcompact SUV" sounds like oxymoron in the same class as "jumbo shrimp" or "open secret," but it's a booming segment of the American automotive market. And with BMW keen on having an option in just about every sub-segment of the vehicle-buying public, the BMW X2 makes sense. But like the BMW 640i xDrive GT I reviewed earlier this year, the X2 seems awfully similar to another car in the German automaker's lineup. In the case of the new-for-2018 X2, its doppelgänger is the X1. Given the moniker, one would expect it to fall between the X1 and the X3 in size and shape. Instead, at 172" x 72" x 60" (437cm x 183cm x 152cm), the X2 "sports activity coupe" is almost three inches shorter in length and height than the X1 "sports activity vehicle." It shares its underlying platform not only with the X1 but the Mini Countryman as well.

BMW's entry in the luxury subcompact crossover market starts at $38,400, but the BMW X2 xDrive 28i I drove for a week has a sticker price of $50,920. That extra $12,000+ buys you the Driving Assistance Package (lane-departure and front collision warning, $700), Premium Package (heated front seats, navigation touch pad, and heads-up display for $2,600), and the M SportX Package (19" wheels, sport seats, and panoramic moonroof for $4,650). Then add in Park Distance Control for $800, wireless CarPlay support for $300 (sorry, Android owners), and a premium sound system for $875. After all that, if you want adaptive cruise control, add another $1,000 to the sticker price. At that point, you're within shouting distance of a similarly specced X3.

Under the hood is the same engine that powers the BMW X1: a 2.0-liter twin-turbo, four-cylinder power plant capable of 228hp (170kW) with 258lb-ft (349Nm) of torque paired with an eight-speed Steptronic transmission. The X2 comes standard with all-wheel drive. The M Sport and M Sport X also come with dynamic damper control and the M Suspension, which sits about four inches lower than the standard X2 suspension.