BMW X4

It looks like 80% of the current car with a Merc GLC grafted on the back.
At least it appears to have mostly got rid of that fat arse effect the current one has.

Coincidentally, I saw a 15-plate X4 this morning and simply wondered "Why?". This one was a boringly indeterminate shade of darkish blue (not helped by a liberal coating of road grime!)but, more to the point, looked bulbously fat, ungainly, proportionally wrong and, quite simply, plug ugly! Yes it can go a bit when depressing the right foot (as can many other, better-looking IMO cars) but not really my cup of Darjeeling at all.

Each to their own - glad MrsC is enjoying hers!

Not for me - I prefer an SUV to have much cleaner and simpler styling like Land Rover does it.

If you lined up a 3 GT, an X4, a 5 GT and an X6 and said "you have to drive one of these cars for the next 3 years" I'd take the X4. But I think that says more about the other choices than about the X4. But as already said, choice is a subjective thing. 

The article says that this is the new Evoque challenger, but as it starts at £41k (a real "how much?" moment!) and that is presumably for a low powered 4 pot diesel 2WD, I suspect that the other biggest thing against it is the price. Of course once BMW throw huge discounts and low PCP rates at the problem, that might help it along. 

Trouble is that production is set far in advance and the chain doesn't stop just because of a downturn in demand. The UK has stuck their hand up for a load of vehicles and we've got to take them. The machines pumping them out and heavy discounting is the only way to keep sales moving in an uncertain market

I was speaking to a mate yesterday who was tempted by a new X5 and the dealers were falling over themselves to do a deal. The stench of panic was strong for sure with the dealer he was courting with discounts of 10k. Still not enough for my mate though as the PCP was still near £800.

Has anyone else noticed the reduction in back end value on cars. I've been looking at a number of examples and although the discounts are high at the front end the residual values are down at 30ish percent after 3 years which means the monthlies are punchy. Could be the banks are planning for many cars suffering high depreciation as we are in the transition of internal combustion to electric.

I think PCP deals have finally had to accept that the market for diesel cars will be carnage in three years' time. All those manufacturers left holding those cheap PCP's may be bricking it. The restrictions / press comment are only going to get worse. 

Yes, but to my eyes, not quite as grotesque as the first-shape X4