RARELY in recent times has a car so polarised popular opinion as the BMW X6. It is probably the motoring version of Marmite with its lovers and loathers in equal measure.

However, despite the insults the German company is a savvy manufacturer and having tested opinion it knows there is a market for the somewhat unconventional-looking SUV.

Which is a good job because it is about to repeat the process with the launch of what it terms its first ever Sports Activity Coupé (SAC), the X4, which is targeted squarely at the premium mid-size segment, a market in which the Range Rover Evoque has reigned supreme for the past couple of years.

However, with the introduction of the Porsche Macan and now the X4, the dominance of the Halewood hero – and its customer loyalty – is about to be tested.

BMW says the X4 “combines the hallmark features of the BMW X family with the sporting elegance of a classical coupé”.

It goes on “its dynamic pedigree is underlined by a wide range of cutting-edge high-performance engines, the xDrive all-wheel-drive system and a high level of standard equipment”.

But then it should have. If it is to go into battle against its fierce rivals then it needs a full arsenal to back it up.

The new vehicle will come with a choice of three diesel engines, a comprehensive package of BMW EfficientDynamics measures and the connectivity provided by BMW ConnectedDrive, an important tool for luring the young professionals being targeted as the core customer base.

At 4,671 millimetres in length, the X4 is just 14mm longer than the X3, which has been around since 2003 and is showing signs of its age. However, the new X4 at 1,624mm high, is 36mm lower to the ground and cuts a more dynamic profile that the staid X3. This deliberate on the part of BMW and designed to add a sportier edge lacking in the family soft roader.

The BMW X4 arrives in dealerships on July 12, 2014.

Forgotten Jaguars set to roar again

CLASSIC car collectors, restoration enthusiasts and Jaguar fans in particular are to have their passions – and wallets – stretched at the UK’s first Restoration Show Sale next month.

Two lots in particular are likely to set the pulses racing; both 1958 Jaguar XK150s found languishing in barns – one in Sicily, one in Shropshire. Silverstone Auctions, which is staging the show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre on April 12 has predicted the cars – despite their condition – could fetch anywhere between £35,000 and £45,000.

The cars, an indigo blue Drophead coupe and a Carmen red Fixedhead coupe, both have fascinating histories having been bought brand new by their respective owners in 1958.

Nick Whale, managing director, Silverstone Auctions, said: “It’s thrilling to be able to offer such exiting cars at this brand new auction. With barn find cars the potential subject of much intrigue, the models could prove to be a fantastic investment.”

The Drophead coupe, VLP929, is the 74th example of the 622 right hand drive cars built. In the 1980s the car was bought by an Italian collector and exported to Sicily where it was discovered a short while ago alongside a treasure trove of other British sports cars. It was repatriated back to the UK where the enthusiastic vendor had the intention of restoring it to its former glory. With other priorities taking precedence the car is now being offered for auction.

The Fixedhead coupe, above, offered at auction for the first time, arguably has an even more interesting past. Hidden from the world since 1969, the car was discovered by an enthusiast in 2009, having spent 40 years in a barn.

Its first owner was a West Bromwich garage owner and renowned racing driver of the period, Alan Eccles. Fittingly for a racing driver, the car was specially ordered with an ultra rare close-ratio gearbox. After taking a job abroad in 1969, Eccles stored the car in the barn at his Shropshire home. Thinking this arrangement would only last for a few years, the car was eventually tucked away for the next 40 years, before being sold on.

Both cars require a full restoration but are projects for an experienced restorer rather than an enthusiastic amateur.

Diesel – No longer the poor relation

FOR a long time diesels had a bad press so far as the motoring industry was concerned with noisy engines belching out black smoke and fumes, polluting our towns and countryside.

However, this is no longer the case. New studies show technological innovations by automotive suppliers have ensured that today’s diesel engines are far cleaner and more efficient.

Over the past decade, thanks to the fitment of advanced components, such as common-rail diesel and Start-Stop, diesels now offer significantly reduced emissions and lower running costs.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ New Car CO2 Report, launched this month, new diesel cars sold in the UK are 21% less polluting and 27% more economical than they were in 2003.

Also, if diesel cars were only as fuel-efficient as they were 10 years ago, the average annual fuel bill for 12,000 miles of driving would be £1,690 rather than the £1,330 it is today. In addition, modern less polluting diesel cars are reducing the UK’s CO2 emissions by more than 750,000 tonnes per year.

Whatever your choice of fuel, let’s hope the Chancellor is kind to both diesel and petrol consumers in today’s Budget.

Drive safely.