2021 BMW X3 M

The X3 M is a first for BMW, and it’s everything you expect of a traditional M-car and then some!

- ROHIT PARADKAR

Type 2,993cc, in-line six-cylinder twin-turbo

Max power 480PS@6,250rpm

Max torque 600Nm @2,600-5,600rpm

LxWxH (mm) 4,726x1,897x1,669

Price ₹1.18 crore (on-road, Mumbai)

+ Quick gearbox, taut dynamics, classic German soundtrack

- Styling lacks flair, confusing mode selection

BMW’s M division knows how to build fast and practical cars, so extending their expertise to SUVs that are practical by design and taut by BMW characteristic doesn’t sound like a big deal. But you will be surprised at how well they have managed to bring the fine balance of everyday comfort and track-worthy M performance to BMW’s mid-size crossover. They have done the X5 M and X6 M in the past, but anyone who has driven them hard would know that those cars feel like rhinos on steroids running behind each other. They are big and brawny but lack the panache that we have now come to expect, thanks to the wave of super-SUVs that have come our way.