BMW X4 M40i Flexes 360 PS Straight Six In Detroit

Priced at $57,800 in the US, BMW‘s top of the range X4 promises to offer more bang for your buck than its current rival, the Porsche Macan.

The way in which we can position the X4 M40i against the Macan is a bit tricky. First of all, the BMW has 360 PS to go with its 465 Nm (343 lb-ft) of torque, which puts it on the same level as the Macan GTS, performance wise.

The GTS also comes with 360 PS, though a bit more torque at 500 Nm (368 lb-ft). It will also zip past the 100 km/h (62 mph) mark in 5.2 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds off the pace of the cheaper X4 M40i. And by the way, we’re talking about a $10,000 price difference, which is hard to ignore.

So then, which Porsche Macan can you get for the same money as the range-topping X4? Well, the ‘S’ version, obviously, which will set you back about $54,400 in the US. The problem with the Macan S at that price is that it’s half a second slower to 100 km/h than the Bimmer and people who tend to buy these flagship speedy SUV models, tend to appreciate these types of performance figures, otherwise they’d just get the 2nd-most expensive version and check all the optional extras.

Also, it will be interesting to see how BMW responds to Mercedes when an AMG version of their incoming GLC Coupe shows up. Of course, we’ll probably be looking at some type of GLC450 AMG, with the same amount of power as the current C450 AMG, rated at 367 PS. Once that model arrives, it will give the X4 M40i a good old fashioned run for its money – value included.

Until then, it’s hard to make a case for owning an entry-level Macan S over the flagship X4, especially if what you’re looking for is that 4-door Coupe look, which the Porsche obviously doesn’t have.