2021 BMW X2 Edition M Mesh Adds Bling To The Compact Crossover

The tried-and-true formula for creating special edition models is alive and well at BMW. Plug in a fresh set of wheels, blackout the trim, add badging and just like that, you have a special model. That's the crux of BMW's curiously named X2 Edition M Mesh, though there's a bit more to it than that.

For starters, the package is designed to spruce up the entry-level 28i as that's the only model available for the upgrade. The mesh comes not in the form of some weird interior trim, but the new M Mesh kidney grille slated to launch in November on the M235i. It migrates to the X2 for this package, along with items normally part of the M Sport X package. That includes gloss black window and mirror surrounds, and black trim for the side pillars.

BMW's crest on the hatch and the exhaust tips also get black chrome treatment, but if you want a dash of color, standard 19-inch or optional 20-inch wheels are available with black or orange highlights. For that matter, Euro-spec models get snazzy orange striping as you see in the photo gallery above, but U.S. models are more reserved with a simple choice of five exterior colors. Phytonic Blue Metallic, Alpine White, Black Sapphire Metallic, Sunset Orange Metallic, and a new shade called Brooklyn Grey Metallic are the choices.

Moving inside, the X2 receives M Sport seats with integrated headrests that are usually reserved for the sporty X2 M35i edition. An M Sport steering wheel with paddle shifters is included, and there's more black trim for the leather seats. There's also Aluminium Hexagon trim and Pearl Grey Chrome accents in the greenhouse, and Edition-branded door sills identify the X2 as something special.

The powertrain is unchanged, which for the U.S. market means a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 228 horsepower (170 kilowatts). Power goes through an eight-speed automatic to the front wheels on sDrive28i models, or to all four for the xDrive28i. It's not a tarmac burner, but with 0-60 mph times in the low six-second range for all-wheel-drive versions, it can still be lively.

BMW says the Edition M Mesh package adds $3,550 to the base price of the X2, and it's only available on 28i models. It will be available starting in November 2020.