WE’VE barely had time for our stomachs to settle from the assault on the eyes that was the BMW X6 and our friends in Bavaria have decided we haven’t quite suffered enough.

While the X6 was a car that created a niche all of its very own, it sold well, proving that car reviewers do not always think along the same lines as the great British public.

So with sound of tills ringing in their ears, BMW has come up with a variation on the theme – the smaller but similar looking X4.

Based on the same platform as the X3, the car has a lower centre of gravity and a more muscle appearance.

Available with a choice of three diesel engines, a two litre and two three litres, they all use BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, which the company says ensures that performance is maintained while fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are kept to a minimum.

The boot has 500 litres of space, but with the split-folding rear seats down that increases to 1,400 litres.

Preparing to take on the likes of the Range Rover Evoque, the X4 is available from £36,590.