No Longer The Runt

From being BMW’s weakest link, the X3 has matured into a superb SUV that 11,000 of us are predicted to buy in the next year. 

- Ben Barry

THE BMW X3 has come a long way, and not just from the Spartanburg, South Carolina manufacturing plant where it’s built. In 14 years, it’s reinvented itself from runt of the litter to a mid-size SUV that genuinely makes you question if you need an X5. Or if a 3-series Touring would be that much more involving to drive.

This new model is the third generation, and key stats include a 51mm stretch to the wheelbase, 55kg less mass to lug, and a choice of SE, xLine or M Sport trim levels – the latter predicted to garner 60 per cent of sales. BMW UK hopes to shift around 11,000 X3s each year as it does battle with the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC, Volvo XC60 and Land Rover Discovery Sport. As demand has grown, it’ll also be built in South Africa and China.

You can choose from two turbodiesels and three turbo petrol X3s, ranging from the 20d that 80 per cent of UK buyers are likely to pick – lured by its promise of 187bhp, 56.5mpg, 132g/km – to the M40i that hardly anyone will. The latter matches the Porsche Macan GTS for ponies (355bhp), beats it by 0.4sec to 0-62mph (in 4.8sec!), and kicks it in the mudflaps with an £8k discount (at £50,530), though the unshabby Macan S is £2k cheaper than the BMW.