BMW’s sporty-looking SUV-coupé, the new X4, has been spied in India for the first time. The model is expected to launch in the country in the first half of 2019, which means that the model spied here has probably been sent for homologation purposes.

While India did not get the previous-gen X4, the all-new model, which was officially unveiled at the beginning of this year, will be brought to our market via the CKD route. BMW plans to assemble the X4 at its Chennai plant, alongside its other locally assembled models.

The model that has been spied in India can be identified as the higher-spec M Sport X variant as it does not possess the trapezoid-shaped exhausts of the M40i and M40d. It does, however, get a dual-tone finish in the form of cladding on the wheel arches and below the door sill. Additionally, the design of the 19-inch alloy wheels further identifies it as the M Sport X trim. There are no badges on the model to indicate what engine is under the hood.

For the Indian market, the X4 is not expected with the xDrive20d powertrain option that comes on the locally assembled X3. It is expected to be powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol that makes 252hp and 350Nm of torque in the xDrive30i (which is available on the X3), and a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder diesel producing 265hp and 620Nm of torque in the xDrive30d (which is not available on the X3). Both engines will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, with all-wheel drive as standard.

This second-gen X4 shares BMW’s Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform with the X3 and also plenty of bits on the inside. This includes the latest iDrive infotainment system (with a 6.5-inch display as standard or a 10.3-inch unit as an option), which also gets voice and gesture control as standard. Boot space in the X4 stands at 525 litres, but can be expanded to 1,430 litres thanks to the 40/20/40 split folding rear seats.

When the X4 arrives in India, it will slot between the X3 (Rs 49.99-56.70 lakh) and the X5 (Rs 69.40-82.90 lakh) in the carmaker's range, and directly rival the likes of the Range Rover Evoque (Rs 52.06-69.53 lakh).

All prices, ex-showroom, India