The all-new BMW X3 in X50 guise. Picture: BMW
The all-new, fourth generation BMW X3 is proudly South African-built in Rosslyn outside Pretoria and not only for us, but for markets around the world.
And last week The Citizen Motoring got to experience the three new model derivatives that have just hit showroom floors. These include the frugal 20d, the new tech-heavy 30e and the high-performance M50.
It was monsoon time and the roads were an absolute mess with flooding adding to the chaos of large potholes all over the place. So, it was probably for the best that the first BMW X3 derivative we got to drive was the ever-popular 20d, as we were able to just sit back and enjoy the easy-going nature of the tried and tested four-cylinder turbodiesel engine.
In this latest iteration, you have 145kW of power and 400Nm on tap. And thanks to the addition of a 48V mild hybrid system, there is an extra 8kW and 25Nm available for around 10 seconds. This is activated by pulling the downshift paddle and activating the “boost” function as specified with the optional to the M Sport package.
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This power is driven down to the wheels via an eight-speed Steptronic auto box courtesy of BMW’s on demand xDrive system as fitted to all the models. It has a claimed 0-100km/h time of 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 215km/h.
With a claimed fuel consumption of 6.2 litres per 100km, the BMW X3 20d is once again going to be the sensible choice in the range with this unbeatable combination of efficiency and power.
Talking of which, the old X3 30d is no longer, but there is a spiritual successor in the range now, and that is the X3 30e Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV). This X3 features a 22.1kWh battery mated to a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo petrol engine.
This combo offers a combined 220kW and 450Nm. It makes for a rapid SUV that gets from 0-100km/h in just 6.2 seconds and top out at 215km/h. And it does not consume a great deal of fuel. Well almost. You can do around 80 to 90km of electricity only powered driving, and this sees the overall consumption number drop down to literally zero. The negative is that there is no mode you can select that forces the internal combustion engine to charge the battery back up to full while on the fly like in some other PHEV cars.
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Obviously if you are only doing short around town trips, you would then plug your BMW X3 30e in at home, or the office, or even at a public charge station, and charge it back up to full again in around two hours and continue to exploit the positives of hybridisation.
Our final drive at the launch event, was in the X3 M50, which is the least sensible X3 of the trio, but by far the most fun.
Making use of BMW’s go to performance engine in the 3.0-litre, straight-six, turbo petrol, plus a dash of 48V mild hybrid electricity, this X3 M50 produces a combined output of 293kW and 580Nm. It really gets up and goes with a claimed 0-100km/h time of a mere 4.6 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h.
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The X3 M50 also has the looks and ability to back up the show put on by the powertrain courtesy of a bunch of M Sport goodies that come in the form of an adaptive M Sport suspension with electronically controlled dampers and variable sport steering, M Sport brakes, 20-inch M light-alloy wheels and an M Sport differential integrated into the rear axle as standard fitment.
M-specific design features such as the M kidney grille with horizontal bars and BMW Iconic Glow contour lighting, and the quartet of exhaust tailpipes perfectly wrap up this offering.
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It’s certainly easy to see why BMW’s X3 is the brand’s global, and local, number 1 seller in their portfolio. It is competitively priced with modern styling and state of the art tech, has powerful yet efficient engines and just enough ride height and space to call it a real SUV.
*Pricing includes five-year/100 000km maintenance plan.
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