Words Abhay Verma | Photography Saidatta Naik
It wouldn’t be wrong to say the X3 has been an important cornerstone for BMW in India. The midsize luxury SUV has had a significant share in helping the German luxury car maker achieve excellent sales numbers year on year, besides being a sweet spot in the luxury SUV scene with its size, powertrain options and trademark BMW dynamics. The latest, fourth-generation X3 though aims to broaden the nameplate’s appeal with an added focus on comfort. I spent a couple of days driving it in the city and on highways, and came back impressed.
First things first, the design grows on you. We’ve seen BMW launch some very polarising looking cars, but like the 7 Series and XM, I started appreciating the X3’s design as I spent time with it. The overall design and sharp lines help it look smaller, though fact is the X3 has gotten bigger and is larger than rivals like the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. The new grille looks more appealing and I also like its diagonal slats and the gloss black plastic in the ‘kidneys’. The grille is also illuminated, and overall, there’s a very taut feel to the front end now given the new grille and headlamp design. BMW is offering the X3 only in the sportier M Sport trim in India and the 19-inch wheels add to its stance. Door handles are flush units similar to the iX1’s. The new X3 features a diffuser-esque panel on the rear bumper along with a roof-mounted spoiler, while the tailgate looks clean, devoid of too many lines or creases. Effectively, the new design is radical but with a more universal appeal, which should make it more endearing to a wide audience.
The new interior design and theme have little to no resemblance to other BMWs on sale currently though, and the dashboard even reminded me of the new Mini with its knitted design. The dash is swathed in recycled polyester, a nod to BMW’s commitment to using eco-friendly materials, but our dusty conditions will pose a challenge in terms of keeping it clean. In fact, most of the cabin is covered in fabric, plastic or recycled polyester and it’s only the steering that’s wrapped in leather. Ambient lighting adds to the cabin’s charm and offers an unorthodox feel given the LEDs on the dashboard, centre console and door panels. The lighting on the door panels also flashes red when the door is open, as a warning.
The cockpit thus looks very modern and un-BMW-like. The single glass slab housing the 12.3-inch driver display – with the same themes as current BMW cars – and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen add to the modern feel too. Overall, there’s a clear focus on offering a more upmarket feel. The larger exterior dimensions translate to more space inside, and there’s a greater emphasis on enhancing comfort. The front seats feel plush and comfortable thanks to their cushioning and contours, besides which you can adjust side bolstering and lumbar support electrically, and extend under thigh support manually. Front seats are also ventilated, a must-have in our opinion.
The rear seat is fixed and is best for seating two people – three abreast is a bit of a squeeze. The seat squab is comfortable and under-thigh support is good, besides which you also get dedicated climate control and manual sun blinds. The panoramic sunroof (largest in class) adds to ambience and in a nutshell, the X3 is sure to appeal to chauffeur-driven buyers even more now. The spare tyre now sits in a dedicated space under the storage area and does not eat into space anymore, making for an impressive boot volume of 570 litres. On the features front you get camera-based ADAS, a crisp-looking 360-degree view and a head-up display. Most functions and features are accessed through the touchscreen, including air-conditioning controls, which is a little irritating though. A personal favourite is the ability to pre-cool the cabin before you get to the car via the My BMW app, a boon in the ongoing summers!
The new X3 is on offer with petrol and diesel engines both, but we’ve only driven the diesel version. The engine is a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder unit putting out 197PS and 400Nm, put down via an 8-speed automatic transmission and you also get a ‘Boost’ mode, activated by holding the left paddle behind the steering wheel. Performance is adequate though I wish there was an option of a more powerful oil burner. That said, the new X3 is equipped with a 48-volt hybrid system that offers an additional 11PS and 25Nm. Claimed efficiency is also impressive at 17.6kmpl. More importantly, it’s the engine’s refined nature that impresses – it’s hard to guess you’re driving a diesel from behind the wheel, that’s how quiet the engine is. Throttle responses are quick with minimal lag and there’s a very nice feel to the performance courtesy the meaty torque delivery from low revs, and also the 48-volt mild hybrid system.
Ever-tightening emission norms mean you miss the thrust of older BMW diesel engines, but the new X3 does not disappoint, especially on highways. On the same note, the X3 also behaves like a BMW ought to, offering a very planted feel and communicating well via the steering wheel, but this time, with a plusher ride. And that’s thanks to the adaptive suspension. The suspension adapts to road conditions and your speeds quickly and offers a very impressive slow speed ride, especially in Comfort mode. Switch to Sport and you feel the difference and increased tautness immediately and it’s hard to not break into a smile when driving the new X3 enthusiastically, while not having to worry about undulated surfaces. And this is also courtesy the switch from run-flats to tubeless tyres which are more absorbent.
The petrol is priced at ₹75.8 lakh ex-showroom, while the diesel X3 retails from ₹77.8 lakh, which in my opinion, is the one to look at. So pricing is good, besides which the X3 feels even more convincing now given the new design and interiors, enhanced comfort and of course, the excellent powertrain and dynamics. It is a more compelling package now and with that said, is sure to have GLC buyers in its crosshairs.
