44 | AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE
W
ith the arrival of the
third-generation X3, BMW
once again has a competitive
player in the premium medium-
SUV class. The 2019 X3 has
a roomier and much more
attractive interior, plus better
ride comfort and handling.
The embrace of SUVs is a
global trend and competition for
the growing horde of customers
is intense. BMW knows its new
X3 has to be very good to stand
a chance against competitors
from Alfa, Audi, Jaguar, Lexus,
Mercedes-Benz, Range Rover
and Volvo.
The look of the X3 interior is
based on BMW’s still-fresh 5
Series. The SUV’s instrument
panel has a similarly classy layout
and houses the very impressive
iDrive 6 version of the company’s
infotainment system.
The X3 range opens at $62,900
with the sDrive 20i. It runs BMW’s
base 2.0-litre turboetrol four,
with 135kW of power, matched
with an eight-speed automatic
and rear-wheel drive. It averages
a claimed 7.4L/100km.
All-wheel drive variants open
with the the $66,900 X3 20d. It
has a 140kW 2.0-litre turbodiesel
four, claimed to average just
5.7L/100km. The $72,900 X3 30i
runs the 2.0-litre turbopetrol
four tuned for 185kW, which
returns 7.6L/100km, while the
$82,900 X3 30d has a 3.0-litre
turbodiesel in-line six from
BMW’s youngest engine family. It
averages a claimed 6.0L/100km.
The X3 M40i, priced at $99,900,
runs a 265kW 3.0-litre in-line
turbopetrol six and a stiffer
suspension.
Due by the end of 2019 are the
fi rst full house M models in the
X3 range, the X3M and X4M.
Both are powered by the
same 3.0-litre straight six turbo,tweaked for 353kW of power and
600Nm of torque.
Priced at around $150,000,
they go up against Porsche’s
Macan Turbo and Alfa’s Stelvio
Quadrifoglio.
BMW’s 2.0-litre turbodiesel
will chug around all day on a
feathered throttle in the higher
gears, returning 8-9L/100km in
town using Eco Pro mode and
as little as 5L/100km on the
highway. It makes the usual
gravelly diesel noises under
acceleration, but they’re very
faint and in cruise mode it’s as
silent as a petrol engine.
With 400Nm of torque, and
a respectable 140kW of power,
it pulls strongly across the
bottom end and midrange then,
surprisingly, kicks even harder
from 3000-4000rpm. Redline is
5500rpm, but you’ll never go there.It’s actually quicker than the
2.0-litre turbopetrol X3, clocking
a rapid (by four cylinder oiler
standards) eight seconds for the
0-100km/h trip.
While the M40i is impressively
quick and agile for an SUV, its
rigid ride is sure to make it
uncomfortable on any road that’s
not perfectly smooth.
If you’re shopping this class,
it’s worth noting that you don’t
have to spend the $65,000-
$70,000 asked by BMW and other
luxury German brands to get
comparable, or better, ability,
size and specifi cation.
Land Rover’s Discovery Sport
offers more SUV for the money
and can also, unlike the Germans,
do off-road adventuring as well.
You can get into the Skoda Kodiaq,
or VW’s loaded Tiguan Highline,
for $50,000-$55,000, while
Subaru’s outstanding Forester S
can be had for around $45,000.By John CareySafety
Not yet tested
PerformanceHandlingQuality and reliabilityComfort and refi nementValue for moneyOverallSTARS
THINGS WE LIKE
Sleek interior design
Generous rear seat room
Torquey, frugal engines
Quietness and comfort
Agile, engaging handling
THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE
Prices are getting up there
Long options lists
Stiff ride in M40i
Runfl at tyresSPEX (30i)
Made in the USA
2.0L four-cylinder turbopetrol/eight-
speed automatic/all-wheel drive
185kW of power at 5200rpm/350Nm
of torque from 1450-4800rpm
0-100km/h in 6.3 seconds (claimed)
7.6L/100km combined; 95 octane
premium; CO2 emissions are
174g/km
Warranty: Three years/unlimited
kilometres
Standard: Six airbags, stability
control, semi-autonomous Driving
Assistant Plus, head-up display,
surround view camera, rear
parking sensors, swivelling LED
headlights, 20-inch alloy wheels,
leather upholstery, sports front
seats, 10-inch infotainment screen,
navigation, Bluetooth, digital radio,
wireless phone charging, automatic
emergency services calling
Redbook future values: 3yr: 54%;
5yr: 42%compare with ...
Alfa Stelvio, Audi Q5, Jaguar F
Pace, Mercedes GLC, Skoda
Kodiaq, VW Tiguan, Volvo XC60BMW X3 FROM $62,900