Could the X2 lose its lid?
Nissan never expected the Murano CrossCabriolet would leave such a lasting legacy. Land Rover jumped into the convertible crossover segment with the Range Rover Evoque Cabriolet and Volkswagen promised to follow with a roof-less T-Roc. Now, BMW has indicated it could enter the segment sooner or later.
“It’s a really interesting topic,” Ralph Mahler, BMW’s direct of product planning, told Digital Trends when asked for his thoughts on a top-less crossover. “All these kinds of questions we have asked ourselves in the past. Whether or not there is a possibility, whether or not there is a market. You see the lineup at the moment. We don’t have one but nevertheless I think it’s still an interesting question,” he added.
While that’s not a confirmation BMW will enter the segment, it’s not a flat-out denial, either. Mahler stopped short of pointing to the crossover or SUV that makes the most sense as a convertible. The Munich-based brand has plenty to choose from; its line-up includes the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, and, soon enough, the X7.
By process of elimination, we’d single out the X2 (pictured) as the likeliest candidate for a convertible conversion. For starters, it competes in the same segment as the Evoque. It’s also aimed at a relatively young target audience, one likely to adopt — and even embrace — the idea of a high-riding cabriolet.
Are we right? Time will tell. BMW could move into the segment by the end of the decade if it decides to give the project the proverbial green light.
Nissan never expected the Murano CrossCabriolet would leave such a lasting legacy. Land Rover jumped into the convertible crossover segment with the Range Rover Evoque Cabriolet and Volkswagen promised to follow with a roof-less T-Roc. Now, BMW has indicated it could enter the segment sooner or later.
"It's a really interesting topic," Ralph Mahler, BMW's direct of product planning, told Digital Trends when asked for his thoughts on a top-less crossover. "All these kinds of questions we have asked ourselves in the past. Whether or not there is a possibility, whether or not there is a market. You see the lineup at the moment. We don't have one but nevertheless I think it's still an interesting question," he added.
While that's not a confirmation BMW will enter the segment, it's not a flat-out denial, either. Mahler stopped short of pointing to the crossover or SUV that makes the most sense as a convertible. The Munich-based brand has plenty to choose from; its line-up includes the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, and, soon enough, the X7.
By process of elimination, we'd single out the X2 (pictured) as the likeliest candidate for a convertible conversion. For starters, it competes in the same segment as the Evoque. It's also aimed at a relatively young target audience, one likely to adopt -- and even embrace -- the idea of a high-riding cabriolet.
Are we right? Time will tell. BMW could move into the segment by the end of the decade if it decides to give the project the proverbial green light.
