If BMW had introduced this very SUV about five years ago, it would have been one of the most rip-snortiest, badass SUVs in existence and it would have been emblazoned with M badges on every corner.
But this is 2011 and BMW has become so blasé about the insane power levels it’s able to wrench out of rather ordinary engine capacities, this car is known only as an everyday X3 xDrive35i. Not a racy M logo in sight.
This is the all-new X3, and it’s almost nothing like the previous version that came out in 2004. Squint and hold your head sideways and the silhouettes are similar, but in the metal this new one is way more curvy with more stylistic balls. Dare I say pretty? Almost, but no.
It’s also more luxuriously appointed. The fascia, which is almost a carbon copy of what you’d find in a current 3 Series, has that “I make more money than you” look, with a high-res 225mm display (optional) and soft and supple surfaces, all contrasting against each other nicely with top notch wood, leather, plastic and metal materials.
You now get an automatic transmission with eight forward gears instead of the “so yesterday” six, complete with shift paddles behind the steering wheel. I like these new eight-speeders because they are so good at keeping the revs right where a raucous romp forward is a flick of the toe away. Like your over-eager labrador eyeing a tennis ball in agonising anticipation, before you toss it to the end of the garden and he takes off like a rocket after it.
But, when you really get on the gas the upchanges are aggressively uncomfortable and it feels like getting kicked in the back by an annoying child seated behind you on a plane. With more gears, you get more kicks. Drive at less than full throttle (difficult with this much grunt) and it is smooth though.
This new X3 is also bigger than the outgoing one. Actually, except for height, it’s now similar in size to a first-generation X5. Non-enthusiasts will mistake it for its bigger brother every time.
Now, about that performance... This model, the 35i, gets the same 225kW/400Nm turbocharged three-litre straight six as the 335i known for being only a tenth or two away from embarrassing Beemer’s V8-powered M3 hotrod at the lights. The quarter-mile was covered in 14.9sec, putting the X3 right into the realm of cars such as Nissan’s 370Z, believe it or not. Our Vbox indicated a best 0-100 sprint in 6.6seco, true sports-car performance from an all-wheel drive weekend warrior.
But I use the term “weekend warrior” loosely, because BMW’s engineers may have strayed from the original path intended for their middle-sized SUV. Let’s put it this way, I wouldn’t want to take the X3 on a so-called South African safari. The suspension is incredibly firm for a vehicle that, by looks alone, belongs more off-road than on.
Okay, those (optional) low-profile 19” rims and tyres offer good indication that this BMW’s most natural habitat is where it won’t get dirt and dusty. They’re also fitted with runflat tyres, known for being less forgiving than conventional sidewalled rubber, and there’s no spare to bail you out of trouble in the bush. This model comes standard with 18” rims, which I suspect would be at least a little softer on the butt, but I fear the X3’s real ride harshness comes from further inboard than just wheel/tyre combos.
The suspension is very stiff. BMW seems stuck on this whole defy-the-laws-of-physics thing, and I remember also wondering how recent X6 and X5 models managed to turn in so sharply without body roll. It’s awkward, and uncomfortable. Softer springs and shocks please. That said, I think this SUV could hang with some more low-slung machinery in a cornering grip-a-thon.
I do, however, love the modern electronics available; a neat new feature is the ability to stream music from your phone straight to the X3’s speakers via bluetooth. No cables required. Cool.
But I’m also frustrated with the not-quite-perfected keyless entry and lock system. As long as the key’s somewhere on your person, you should theoretically be able to lock and unlock by touching a door handle. With this test car anyway, I could hear the system recognising my touch, and the door innards would click, but no lock actuation would happen. Out would come the key for a manual button push nearly every time. Not great for a car with a base price of R614 182.
VERDICT:
The new X3 xDrive35i really puts the “sport” in sport utility vehicle. A fantastic performance car even if it’s not really marketed as one.
Just be sure you’re willing to live with its aggression all the time because comfort is not something the new X3 does very well. - Star Motoring