![]() On this trip, we got to sample the xDrive30i and xDrive20d in M Sport trim with 21-inch and 19-inch wheels respectively, as well as the xDrive30d in xLine trim with 20-inch wheels. ![]() Like in the X3 M40i we tested last month, ride comfort is skewed to the firm side. Thanks to underbody channels and panels,BMW claims the X3 is also the most aerodynamic car in its class. With increased use of lightweight materials such as aluminium, the new car is up to 55kg lighter than before, with a fair amount of that coming from unsprung mass (wheels, brakes and suspension basically hardware bits that aren’t suspended by the springs and dampers). The new X3 sits on the CLAR (CLuster ARchitecture) platform, BMW’s scalable architecture that will form the basis of its rear- and all-wheel drive models, from the next 3 Series up to the mammoth X7. Pretty much everything that can’t be seen. In the future though, there’s likely also going to be a full-fledged X3 M version with the twin-turbo straight six out of the M3 and M4, to take the fight to the Porsche Macan Turbo. The white and silver cars on the left are xLine trim models, while the white car on the right is in M Sport trim Costs will be kept down by selling it only in xLine format. Unlike the M40i and 30i, which are all-wheel drive, the sDrive20i will be a rear-wheel drive-only, as the ‘sDrive’ name denotes. In time to come, a 20i model will appear with a lower-powered version of the 2.0-litre engine to form the base of the X3 range, and is expected to be the volume seller. The car here is the xDrive30i, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 252hp, and will be sold in xLine and M Sport trims – the former less racy and also less expensive than the latter (see image below). ![]() The new X3 will launch in Singapore as follows: The range-topping the M40i, packing a 3.0-litre six-cylinder with 360hp. What isn’t new new though, are the engines, as they’re all familiar units found all over the current BMW range. Look closely though and you’ll spot larger kidney grilles, narrower LED headlights with hexagonal light graphics, wider 3D-effect LED taillights, a more tapered side profile and most tellingly, and BMW’s ‘air curtain’ vent on the fender just aft of the front wheels. Yup, at first glance, we were fooled too, largely due to the new car having a very similar front, rear and side profile. This is why it’s timely that a new X3 has rolled along, as the outgoing car was introduced a good three years earlier (2011) than the next-oldest competitor and was starting to feel its age.Ī new X3? Doesn’t look all that different… BMW says the X3 effectively pioneered the segment, but now it has strong competition from the Mercedes-Benz GLC, Jaguar F Pace, Porsche Macan and Audi Q5 to contend with. BMW’s mid-range X3, the xDrive30i, shows off tech muscle borrowed from 5 SeriesĬAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - The mid-sized luxury SUV segment is an increasingly competitive arena these days.
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