High Stakes

Don’t be fooled by its evolutionary design – the third-generation X3 has been honed in every way to ensure that it stays relevant in this super competitive segment.

- Manuela Piscini

September 2013, Frankfurt Motor Show – BMW launched the updated second-gen X3. It went on sale the following January. After its launch, we got behind the wheel of the then new model, and came to the conclusion that it still felt like the younger sibling to the X5 – which was a good thing back then. However, in order to beat the competition, the X3 had to be more like the other vehicles in its segment. Now, with the world premiere of the third gen model at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW seems to have addressed any shortcomings. It’ll be on sale in the West by November this year, while it should hit Indian showrooms sometime early next year.

BMW has high hopes for the new X3, since the two preceding models have registered sales of over a million-and-a-half units. That being said, it is up against some serious competitors, including the Audi Q5, Jaguar F-Pace, Mercedes GLC, Porsche Macan and the Volvo XC60. That being said, the midsize luxury SUV segment is booming like never before – last year, sales grew by 30 percent in Europe and 32 percent in the USA. Not to mention China, which still favours SUVs of all shapes and sizes.

Plenty of Everything