WeeklySA_AdminATHLETIC APPEARANCE: Third iteration refreshed for 2022
By Ali Mphaki
The next best thing after a BMW, is another BMW. This seems to be the philosophy at the German automotive giant where production of the new X3 has started in earnest at the Rosslyn, Pretoria, plant as of end of August.
Having brought the production of the celebrated 3-Series to a screeching halt in 2018 in favour of the X3, the Rosslyn plant in only three years were able to produce 200 000 units of the X model – thanks to a R6.0 billion investment in upgrading the Rosslyn plant.
Activities on the X3 began in 2018. Bigger than the original version of its big brother, the BMW X5, the 2022 BMW X3 from the very first glance impresses with its athletic appearance.
To a keen eye what will be immediately noticeable includes a revised grille, new headlamps and taillamps, updated front and rear bumpers, new wheel designs and tweaked exhaust tips.
Inside, the center console has been reworked and some secondary controls have been repositioned. While a 10.3-inch infotainment display and a matching digital gauge display are still standard, BMW now offers 12.3-inch upgrades for both.
So stylish and well equipped is the interior with things like a 10-way power-adjustable front seats, which include adjustable side bolsters to find a comfortable position. Reclining seatback for rear passengers with well-chosen materials and tight panel gaps makes for a place you’d like to spend most of your time in.
Offered in five turbocharged engines, comprising three diesel and two petrol – the sDrive 18d kicks off the diesel options – this model is powered by a 110kW and 350Nm 2.0-litre diesel engine.
The xDrive 20d is powered by the same engine, but makes do with 140kW/400Nm. The X3 xDrive 30d is powered by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine, sending an impressive 195kW and 520Nm to the road.
The petrol options may be limited to two models for now, but will be expanded to three when the X3 M Competition joins the line-up in the not too distant future. The sDrive 20i’s engine displaces 2.0-litres that produces 135kW and 300Nm.
At the top-end, the X3 M40i is the headliner for the moment. Its 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine offers 285kW and a massive 500Nm. As the sport model in the range, it can clear 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds and the top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h.
xDrive models are all-wheel drive while the sDrive sends power to the rear wheels. The entire line-up is equipped with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
This X3 is as bang up to date as the very best new large SUVs. With stiff competition from the likes of the Audi Q5, the Mercedes GLC, the Jaguar F-Pace, the Porsche Macan, in its latest incarnation the X3 is no shrinking violet. Though the Audi Q5 and Porsche Macan are both quicker than the X3, those seeking a performance-oriented crossover will find the X3 M40i more to their liking.
Its turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine provides almost brutish power, out-accelerating all but the most potent version of the Macan Turbo and the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 with a 4.4-second zero-to-100 km/h time
