► BMW X3 returns for fourth generation
► Significant design changes inside and out
► New engines and advanced PHEV
You might expect a 3 Series to be BMW’s best-seller, but it is in fact the X3 that holds this crown. It effectively established the mid-size SUV segment back in 2004 but has become a bit of an underdog in recent years, quietly (and effectively) going about its business, but this new fourth-generation is keen to show the X3 has a bolder side.
The subtle and classy design of its predecessor is dropped in favour of – you guessed it – a bigger grille (illuminated, of course) and generally quite odd styling that doesn’t quite fit in with anything else BMW sells.
But is it bold for the sake of it, or is there a proper BMW SUV that lies beneath?
At a glance
Pros: Superb ride and handling balance, spacious boot, M50 model is a delight
Cons: Iffy interior quality in places, awkward styling, can get expensive with options
What’s new?
It’s a pretty comprehensive update for the X3 in almost every respect, with little carried over from the predecessor.
We’ve already touched on the, ahem, questionable styling, and while not particularly ugly, it’s very slab-sided and the front end is far too upright, almost like it’s had an altercation with a very solid wall. But design is always subjective, and like most modern BMWs, it quickly mellows when you see a few on the road.
In contrast, the interior is a delight to look at, with the new X3 being one of the last BMWs to adopt its Curved Display screens. It also gets a similar wraparound ‘interaction bar’ to the flagship i7 that glows with almost crystalline qualities. There are more eco materials used throughout and it’s got more boot space than its predecessor as well.
In terms of powertrains, a new M50 model uses BMW’s most powerful straight-six engine ever, while a revised plug-in hybrid gets almost twice the range of its predecessor.
What are the specs?
Choice is key to the X3’s appeal, and while BMW UK is making cuts to its engine range elsewhere, you can still get this new SUV as a petrol, plug-in hybrid and even a diesel. Each uses an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive.
The entry engine is the 20 xDrive (note the lack of ‘i’ in its name), a 205bhp 2.0-litre petrol unit, followed by the 20d xDrive, a 194bhp 2.0-litre diesel. BMW has cut diesel from just about all its cars in the UK – including the 3 Series and 5 Series – but it acknowledges that the X3 is a popular tow car, and the 2.5-tonne towing limit is only possible with fuel from the black pump.
If you want to go down the PHEV route, the 30e xDrive uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and electric motor to produce a combined 295bhp. It also packs a much larger 19.7kWh battery than its predecessor, which BMW says allows for 56 electric miles to a charge. That’s good on paper, but it’s hard to ignore the Mercedes GLC plug-in hybrid that can travel up to a claimed 83 miles from a charge.
At the top of the range sits the new M50 model, which replaces the previous M40i. Using a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol, it puts out 393bhp and 428lb ft of torque, making it by far the quickest X3 available.
And what about the electric iX3, which has been quite instrumental to this SUV’s success in recent years? Well the current China-made model will continue until it’s replaced by the first ‘Neue Klasse’ model, which BMW is hoping will be its new-era crystal ball.
What’s it like to drive?
The X3’s talent has always been the way it drove, especially if you’re looking for a dash of sportiness, with driving manners exceeding those of an Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC, though often to the detriment of ride comfort. BMW has worked to improve the latter and the result is impressive, with a heavily revised chassis.
No X3 rides on air suspension but adaptive dampers are standard on M50 models, allowing you to flick between comfort and sport settings. Even in sport the ride is far from brittle, but flicking it into comfort is the best option, where it offers a level of compliance that no X3 has had before.
The majority of my driving is spent in the top-spec M50 model, which is nothing short of delightful. The six-cylinder engine is smooth and delivers impressive pace, with 0-62mph dispatched in 4.6 seconds, and I can vouch for the 155mph on the autobahns around Munich. Even at those kinds of speeds, the X3 is remarkably composed and refined. For an SUV to cross Europe with, it’s up there with the best. The engine is vocal when you want it to be, and quiet when you don’t – the right balance – and though some of it is pumped through the speakers, I get my co-pilot to drop me off so I can hear it’s a six-cylinder on the outside to be sure. Result, you can!
The thick-rimmed steering wheel works better in something like an X3 – rather than a 1 Series – and the feel for an SUV is impressive. It’s natural and easy to place through even the tightest corner, but offers that slight room for playfulness if you want it and even the ability to dial the DSC off, though the greasy roads around Munich mean it’s firmly left on today.
I only get around 15 minutes in the standard petrol car, but even that is enough to establish it carries most of the traits of its more powerful sibling, minus its noise and pace. For a four-cylinder petrol in something this size, it’s very refined, and though not exactly quick, still offers enough pace to get up to speed in decent fashion. But if you can afford it, the M50 is the one to go for.
What’s the interior like?
The new X3’s interior is a significant departure from its predecessor, with BMW’s impressive Curved Display dominating the interior. Made up of a huge 14.9-inch touchscreen and 12.7 digital instrument cluster, both offer sharp graphics and an impressive response time. While there are few physical buttons, you may be glad to know that the new X3 keeps the iDrive rotary controller. This means you aren’t purely reliant on the touchscreen to control key functions such as the climate. But oddly, I hardly interacted with the controller at all, usually just using the touchscreen. Weird how times change.
It looks pretty swish, with its glowing interaction bar that stretches across the door cards. The side air vents are also controlled by a sliding touch control – it sounds like a gimmick, but surprisingly works well. But the overall quality falls short for a £50,000 SUV, with some surprisingly cheap materials on the door cards and below the touchscreen, areas you interact with quite often. The outgoing Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60 feel push better built inside.
More positive is the X3’s spaciousness. Though not available with a third row of seats – unique to the Land Rover Discovery Sport in this class – the seats it does have are all very useful. Adults will be able to sit comfortably in the rear seats, and the 570-litre boot is ever so slightly larger than before. Individually folding rear seats and a retractable parcel shelf that neatly fits beneath the boot floor when not in use make the X3 even more useful than it was before.
Before you buy (trims and rivals)
Three versions of the X3 are available – xLine, M Sport and the M50.
Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, an electric boot, keyless entry and heated and electric front seats, with the M Sport trim adding larger 19-inch rims, a sportier bodykit and Alcantara and vegan leather upholstery. With the top-spec M50, you’re primarily paying for its much more powerful engine, though it also gets the tacky light-up grille and upgraded brakes.
The new X3 starts from £48,375 for the xLine, £50,175 for the M Sport and £66,980 for the M50.
Pricing is fairly competitive, almost matching the starting tag of a Volvo XC60, while considerably cheaper than the Mercedes GLC’s £52,895, entry price. The X3 M50 is also around £6,000 less than the equivalent GLC 43. As with any BMW, the option packs are what quickly increase the price, as it’s quite easy to spend another £10,000 if you don’t exercise much restraint.
Verdict
While the BMW X3 has always been up there as one of the more enjoyable family SUVs to drive, the chassis changes and in particular the push to achieve more comfort have really paid off. It no longer has that firmness and occasional harshness that its predecessors did and makes it a far better all-rounder.
It remains a spacious and practical choice, while we’re happy BMW has resisted and kept it available with such a broad range of engine options – with the new M50 being a real highlight. It’s only the slightly cheap-feeling interior that detracts from what is otherwise an SUV that’s hard to fault.
Specs are for BMW X3 M50 xDrive