BMW retains best bits behind X3's big grille

The German carmaker has done a major overhaul of the sport utility vehicle from 2017 to create the fourth-generation car.

- Lee Nian Tjoe

Has this happened to you? Overnight, your smartphone changes after an operating system update. It may even feel like a new phone, with snazzier graphics, but you also need to relearn how to use some of the features because of the change.

BMW is not about to change the operating system of the existing X3 in your sleep, but it has done a major overhaul of the sport utility vehicle (SUV) from 2017 to create the fourth-generation car. Even though it looks significantly different, the core underpinnings are carried over. Given that the old car has always been an impressive drive, it is not a bad starting point.

At 2,865mm, the wheelbase of the new X3 is just 1mm more than the old one, but the overall length has grown by 47mm to reach 4,755mm.

This means that the additional length comes from the overhangs, whether from a nose that juts out more or a longer rear with more luggage capacity. The new car is no more commodious for passengers, but the boot is bigger than before, by 20 litres, when the rear seats are in use.

The most distinctive design feature is the double kidney grille. Not only are the borders illuminated, but the louvres are also set diagonally, instead of vertically, as is BMW's tradition.

The overall design seems simpler than the outgoing model, giving the impression that the entire body was formed from a single block of material.

This rather reductive style of design continues in the cabin. The dashboard is generally uncluttered, besides the trimmings that line the base of the curved digital screen. The air-conditioning vents extend into the front doors, instead of being part of the dashboard.