martinbo
Staff member
Snippets from the first drive reviews:
Auto Express said:Verdict
4
It’s a shame we weren’t able to try one of BMW’s big-selling diesels, but the range-topping X3 M40i demonstrated the firm’s latest SUV offers plenty of potential in a hotly contested class. While its cabin is first rate, it’s the blend of comfort, performance and practicality that impresses most. We’ll have to wait and see as to whether it can snatch class honours from the Volvo XC60 when we get one back in the UK, but the early signs are promising.
While we praised the XC60 for its comfortable suspension and safe handling, the X3 manages to mix typically sharp BMW dynamics with a surprisingly pliant ride. Gone are the days where you’d have to trade comfort for outright driving fun – the new X3 offers both. Our Portuguese test route wasn’t as rough as a British B-road, but abrupt changes in elevation and the odd pothole refused to upset the car’s balance.
It’s a shame we weren’t able to drive one of the big-selling diesels, but it’s impossible to argue against the appeal of the flagship M40i. It’s hushed and refined when you’re cruising on the motorway, yet find a stretch of twisting tarmac and the turbocharged straight-six comes alive. With 355bhp, it accelerates from 0-62mph as quickly as a Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, and feels surprisingly light on its feet, too. The gearbox is quick and responsive, while lifting off the throttle will encourage pops and bangs from the twin exhausts.
The steering is well weighted and offers plenty of feedback, while the tight body control means it’s almost as fun to drive as BMW’s saloon cars. It feels even more precise than the dynamic yardstick that is the Jaguar F-Pace, which is no mean feat.
By basing the new X3 on the 5 Series’ platform, practicality has also improved. There’s plenty of room in the back for adults, even with the optional full-length panoramic roof. The 550-litre boot is smaller than you’ll find in the seven-seat Land Rover Discovery Sport, but more than spacious enough for a growing family. BMW’s benchmarking is clear, though, as the new X3 matches the GLC litre for litre – whether the seats are up or down. With everything folded flat, both cars offer 1,550 litres of space.
CAR UK said:What’s it like inside?
Very nice, with the caveat that our press launch test cars were all in bells and whistles specs. The fundamentals feel spot on, though, with a sound driving position, logically laid out controls and impressive fit and finish – though the trim inserts than ran across the dash like fish-scales looked a little cheap.
In the rear, I found room to spare sitting behind my 6’1” self, and plenty of head room too - the wheelbase is increased by 51mm over the second generation model. The rear seats recline as an option, but only the Discovery Sport offers seven seats (or 5+2 as Land Rover admits) in this segment.
The tailgate opens to reveal a wide load bay that extends flat to the boot lip for easy loading. It holds 550 litres of storage, or 1600 litres with the 40/20/40 split rear seats folded flat. That’s competitive with the Merc and Audi, ahead of the Volvo, behind the Disco.
How does the X3 drive?
It’s very impressive, and definitely more car-like than SUV. The 30d is an engaging thing to drive, with light, precise and accurate steering, good body control, strong grip, and a markedly rear-biased feeling from the all-wheel drive system.
The straight-six turbodiesel provides easy access to its talents, with 369lb ft from just 1500rpm. It remains impressively refined into higher revs, and delivers all the performance you really need; the eight-speed auto matches its character well, with smooth, responsive shifts. Our car was equipped with the optional adaptive dampers and rode well on admittedly smooth Portuguese test roads. It’s a nicely balanced package.
The M40i naturally steps all this up to an altogether different level, burbling aggressively at a standstill, carving through corners with near sports car composure, and its 355bhp performance shrugging off a very chunky 1810kg of kerbweight (even if BMW claims that saves 55kg on comparable previous models) like it was lugging a couple of hundred kilos fewer.
There’s no doubt the M40i would give a Macan GTS something to think about, and it’s £8k cheaper too. But in doing so it feels like the more highly strung machine. The steering is meatier and the rim itself chunkier than that fitted to our 30d test car, which detracts from the diesel’s easy-twirling fluidity.
The suspension is also less compliant, even specified on our car’s optional adaptive dampers; it doesn’t feel harsh, just more agitated. But there’s no denying the M40i’s appeal, or the brilliance with which the turbo six blends great refinement with a prodigious punch.
Is the X3 any good off-road?
It’s good enough. It gets 204mm of ground clearance, a wading depth of 500mm, hill-descent control and, remember, standard all-wheel drive.
The press-launch test route took us on a relatively gentle off-road excursion, but it was dry and dusty, with some deep transverse ruts, and some fairly steep inclines and descents. It took some fairly careful negotiating to get across the ruts (tip: approach them at an angle to avoid scraping the exhaust), but the X3 ultimately did the business.
We could also feel the xDrive system figuring out where to shift torque to when we set off on a steep incline with very little grip – considering we were on road-biased tyres, it was impressive. Hill-descent control also allowed us to navigate down steep inclines at a low, pre-determined speed without touching the brakes – that takes a lot of the fear out of a slippery plummet.
Now, clearly, a Land Rover Discovery Sport would be significantly more adventurous, but we all know that very few drivers will even so much as scratch at those talents. The X3 recognises this, doesn’t try to compete head on because it doesn’t really need to, and gives you tools enough to climb a high kerb, get down a bumpy track or escape the Somerset Downs in winter.
Verdict
The BMW X3 is a great all-rounder. It offers space, versatility, refinement and engaging driving dynamics, so much so that X5 owners might be tempted to downsize. It’s also good enough to drive that upsizing 3-series owners won’t feel short-changed.
Those wanting the ultimate performance hit will always lean towards the M40i, but we’d argue the 30d better showcases the X3’s impressive blend of abilities. That’s the X3 we’d buy.
WhatCar said:Our overall rating:
Rated 4 out of 5
It’s almost a given that you’ll have come across a BMW X3 on your travels. Indeed, BMW has managed to shift some 1.5 million examples of this large SUV worldwide since the original model’s introduction in 2003, and a good chunk of those have found their way onto driveways in the UK.
Of course, with burgeoning SUV sales and some tough competition in the recently released second-generation Audi Q5 and the established Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW has been busy preparing this third-generation X3 pictures to keep pace with the class best.
This latest X3 has had a new 2.0-litre petrol engine added to its range and has lost weight in pursuit of better efficiency and sharper handling. There’s also more distance between its axles, making it roomier inside, plus upgraded interior quality, more standard equipment, up-to-the-minute safety tech and BMW’s latest iDrive infotainment system.
Read our full review to see whether all these changes have taken the X3 to the top of its class.
