BMW has launched its first mid-sized Sport SUV, the X4.

The BMW X4 is best thought of as a smaller sister to the X6, an SUV aimed more overtly at keen drivers than the mainstream X3 and X5 – or as BMW puts it, it is designed to combine “the hallmark features of the BMW X family with the sporting elegance of a classical coupé”.

That means that the BMW X4, which is based on the same platform as the X3, also borrows much of its appearance from the X6.

There’s a more aggressive frontal treatment incorporating large air intakes, and a coupé-like roofline that reaches its peak over the front seats before tapering off towards the rear.

Contoured rear pillars, muscular shoulders and the broad and low-set rear end are also supposed to point to the X4’s dynamic qualities.

Inside, the driver and passengers all sit a little lower than they would in the X3, another feature that’s supposed to make the BMW X4 feel more coupé-like.

Depending on how the seats are folded, the BMW X4 has a load capacity of between 500 and 1400 litres. There’s a 40:20:40 split folding rear seat and an automatically opening tailgate is standard.