Why this popular mid-size SUV stands out in the market

RECENTLY I was on the N1 driving to Johannesburg when I passed three trucks carrying proudly made in South Africa vehicles.

- Willem van de Putte

There’s a tinge of pride knowing that a load of Nissan Navaras, Ford Rangers and BMW X3s are on their way to foreign lands.

I happened to be testing the BMW X3 20d xDrive M Sport at the time and knew that the new owners would be well pleased.

The X3 is a crucial mid-sized SUV for the Munich-based company and remains one of its top sellers and is also the most popular model in South Africa. With its overall refinement, it’s not difficult to understand why.

Exterior

Now in its fourth iteration and first launched in 2003, it has aged well, and as the generations have progressed, it has grown considerably in size, so much so that a friend who had the second generation years ago hardly recognised it.

It's taken a while, but the large distinctive kidney grill seems to be less polarising than when it first saw the light and it suits this year’s Car of the Year.

Because it's such an important model for the brand they have tink-ered too much with the exterior. It now sports more angular lines and what BMW calls a monolithic appear-ance and while personally I prefer the previous generation's look, the new X3 is one of those cars that look better the metal than in pictures.

The rear sports a flush-mounted window with a long roof spoiler and under the flared wheel arches it stands on attractive 19-inch alloys.

Engine

The BMW four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine stands out as one of the best motors ever made and in the X3 produces 145kW and 400Nm coupled to a 48V mild hybrid system adding an additional 8kW and 25Nm for short bursts.