FIRSTDRIVE BMW X3 xDrive 20d:UNLIKE BMW's X5 SUV – something of an icon of the Celtic Tiger – the original X3 never really appealed to Irish buyers: it was smaller than the X5, but only slightly less expensive. If you could afford one then you could probably afford the other, so why downsize? It's not as if, in choosing an SUV, it was going to do your green credentials any good. It was the X5-lite, the saccharine choice.
This time they’ve added the sugar and softened the monetary pill. So much so that the X3 might now have the bright future once mapped out for the model when it first came out.
The car has become more spacious: a criticism of the initial X3 was that it was rather cramped. The new car is close to earlier versions of the X5 and BMW claims the X3 has more interior space than cars such as the Volvo XC60.
There’s a noticeable improvement in bootspace, while rear seat legroom is in line with what you get in a current 3-Series. Up front, the interior has been upgraded to give a proper premium feel, encompassing features in the new 5-Series and bigger models.
Overall styling also mimics its big brother, with a multitude of smart sweeping lines and curves in the bodywork, while the handling is improved, offering the sort of dynamics that BMW has claimed for its cars over the years.
It proved a little firm on the US roads we tested it on but it’s not enough to cause too much complaint and the lack of bodyroll in corners is impressive. BMW’s priority has always been to instil on-road agility to the SUV market with its X models and the new X3 is loyal to this ethos. This is an SUV with its sights set on offering sporty on-road performance.
On the technical front, the powertrain comes from the firm’s respected 2-litre four-cylinder diesel, which puts out an impressive 184bhp with 380Nm of torque. Both are more than ample for throwing this car along on both motorways and winding rural roads. There’s plenty of torque on tap even in higher gears, though the engine does emit a diesel rumble at over 3,000rpm and the rattle sometimes intrudes into the cabin. It’s our biggest gripe with the car but compensated for by tax and fuel savings.
The six-speed manual transmission is a nice short-throw box. On a rather tame off-road track the X3 coped with steep inclines and the odd stream crossing, but in reality X3s are unlikely to encounter challenges greater than a muddy back road into a golf course. It features BMW’s xDrive four-wheel-drive, but its real ability is in on-road grip and cornering in tight bends.
Arguably the greatest boon for this X3 is the timing of its arrival. Where the X5 now seems a little extravagant, the X3 comes across as an SUV symbol of prudence but lacking nothing in practicality.
For those concerned about public scorn from buying a new SUV, the coup de grace is that it registers emissions of only 149g/km; low enough to bring it into band C with a €302 motor tax.
It exemplifies the incredible speed at which car firms are addressing their carbon footprint. It makes something of a mockery of the current tax regime, where premium brands – with their ability to direct higher profit margins towards cutting-edge engineering – can offer luxury flagship models that garner a lower road tax than a three-year-old family saloon. But that’s for the Government to decide on. For now buyers of this latest BMW will reap the benefits of the brand’s engineering.
There’s a financial sweetener for X3: due in part to the lower emissions and VRT tax band, the price is now down €4,170 from the outgoing model to €45,810 (on the road for €46,660) for the 2-litre 184bhp diesel version. That’s the launch version, due in Ireland at the end this month. Two more diesel variants and M Sport versions are scheduled next year but this 2-litre 184bhp diesel will make up 80 per cent of sales.
The new X3 has grown into a proper family SUV that’s no longer the poor relation to the X5. It remains a slightly smaller, softer choice, but where once those attributes were its Achilles heel, now they’re its saving grace.
FACTFILE
Engine: 1995cc 4-cylinder turbodiesel putting out 184bhp and 380Nm of torque
Performance: 0-100km/h in 8.5 secs; top speed 210km/h
L/100km: 5.6
Emissions (tax):149g/km (€302)
Boot: 550-1600 litres
Safety features include ABS with traction control and corner brake control
Price: €45,810 (on the road for €46,660)
Arriving in Ireland: end of this month
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