Car review: BMW X3 has a new look but keeps close to the old winning recipe

MUNICH, Germany – In the early 1970s when BMW created its unforgettable slogan, “Ultimate Driving Machine”, the company was producing some very delectable performance cars, whether as two-door coupes or four-door saloon cars.

Today, the best-selling Ultimate Driving Machine is not a coupe or a saloon. It is a five-door, five-passenger vehicle known to the world as a sport utility vehicle (SUV) or, as BMW prefers to call it, sport activity vehicle, with the “X” prefix.

Among BMW’s SUV line-up, which ranges from X1 to X7, the biggest seller is the mid-size X3. More than 3.5 million units of the model have been sold worldwide since its launch in 2003. The outgoing generation was the best-selling BMW “X” model in Singapore between 2018 and 2023.

The fourth-generation X3 has just been launched with new styling and some interesting engine options. Unlike its predecessor, there is no iX3 yet. The fully electric iX3 will be a standalone model with its own unique platform and will have a distinct design.

Among the variants available at this drive in Munich is the 20 xDrive, which is powered by a 190hp, four-cylinder turbocharged engine, 6hp more than the comparable version of the predecessor. The electric motor integrated in its eight-speed automatic transmission is also stronger by 7hp to make 18hp.

As before, the 48-volt motor provides a power boost to the engine when needed, and electric-only drive is possible only at creeping pace during parking.

The set-up has a peak power of 208hp at 5,000rpm and 330Nm of torque between 1,250 and 4,400rpm.

Being a heavy car, the X3 is not quick, requiring 7.8 seconds to get from 0 to 100kmh. But it feels brisk enough, thanks to the electric boost, especially when accelerating from low speeds. The eight-speed automatic transmission is uncannily smooth, enhancing the car’s refinement.

The four-wheel-drive system in the X3 uses a Haldex clutch to transfer up to 50 per cent of the drive to the front axle, depending on the road conditions.

On roads around Munich, the X3 exhibits chassis poise, grip and steering feel that an ultimate driving machine is expected to possess.

This is one SUV that is pleasant to drive quickly on winding roads. The only bit about the chassis that disappoints is the uncomfortably hard ride in Sport mode. This seems a little unnecessary when the car is already comfortable and yet sharp-handling in the Normal driving mode.

The car may not share any body panels with the outgoing model, but it is still unmistakably an X3 in its overall exterior style. The wheelbase is identical to the outgoing X3, but the overhangs have grown to stretch the overall length to 4,755mm, 34mm more than before. It is also 29mm wider, at 1,920mm.

The striking tail lights and the location of the number plate at the bumper – instead of on the tailgate – are the new X3’s most distinguishing styling features from the old car when viewed from the back.

The BMW front grille has some non-traditional patterns where the vertical slats are mixed with some that are angled. While it does look different, it is not particularly handsome.

Even though the front-end looks flat and bluff, the X3 has a drag coefficient of just 0.27, which is comparable with that of some sports cars.

The new car’s best feature is undoubtedly its passenger cabin. There are some fancy variable-colour light strips around the centre console and door handles. Together with the curved 12.3-inch instrument screen and the adjoining 14.9-inch display, they give the cockpit a stylish and classy vibe.

The door handles look like they incorporate the vertical air-conditioner vents, until you open them to realise the vents stay on the facia as the door moves away. It is a neat and unique trick to downplay the existence of vents. Even the centre vents blend in with the diffused light strip, making them barely noticeable.

With the new styling, good handling characteristics and efficiency, there can be no doubt the new X3 will continue to be a hot favourite in its segment.  

BMW X3 20xDrive

Engine: 1,998cc, 16-valve, four-cylinder turbo with 48V transmission-integrated electric motor
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic with paddle shift
Power: 190hp at 4,400-6,500rpm, 208hp at 5,000rpm (combined)
Torque: 310Nm at 1,500-4,000rpm, 330Nm at 1,250-4,400rpm (combined)
0-100kmh: 7.8 seconds
Top speed: 215kmh
Fuel consumption: 7.6 to 6.9 litres/100km
Price: From $300,000 with COE (estimated)
Agent: Eurokars Automobiles and Performance Motors

The hot-rod option

Like the regular X3, the M Performance version, the M50xDrive, is a hybrid. But it is suitably more powerful. The six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine produces 381hp of power and a whopping 540Nm of peak torque. Those figures climb to 398hp and 580Nm when boosted by the 18hp 48-volt electric motor, which is integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission.

This brings the 0-100kmh timing to 4.6 seconds, which is 0.9 seconds quicker than the 360hp X3 M40i that the M50 replaces.

The M50’s body is identical to the regular X3, but receives special M-specific treatment such as the massive four-pot front brakes, quad tail pipes plus an interior with sports seats and M logos on the steering wheel and centre console.

It is not just ferocious sprinting from rest, but is also brilliant through corners with hardly any body roll. While the M suspension offers a firm ride, it always maintains a level of ride comfort you would not expect from such a performance vehicle.

The added performance and handling are expected to cost an additional $100,000 over the X3 20xDrive.

BMW X3 M50xDrive

Engine: 2,998cc, 24-valve, inline six-cylinder, turbo with 48V transmission-integrated electric motor
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic with paddle shift
Power: 381hp at 5,200-6,250rpm, 398hp at 5,200-6,250rpm (combined)
Torque: 540Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm, 580Nm at 1,850-3,000rpm (combined)
0-100kmh: 4.6 seconds
Top speed: 250kmh
Fuel consumption: 8.3 to 7.7 litres/100km
Price: From $400,000 with COE (estimated)
Agent: Eurokars Automobiles and Performance Motors