new BMW X facelift

New BMW X3 xDrive 20d Facelift Review: Active Change

How does it feel from behind the wheel?

We drove the last version of the car with the bigger three liter diesel engine under its bonnet – and what a hoot it was. Even with its relatively soft (compared to the more hardcore X5), family friendly character, we absolutely loved making a trip to and back from Pune and clocked some crazy time with that sporty engine burbling intently as though it ran on gasoline.

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In comparison, for obvious reasons, the two-liter diesel feels a bit underwhelming, but is still quite a performer for its displacement. There is plenty of shove at hand from the outset, and the four big hundreds of Nm ensure that the car’s weight is never an issue to haul, even with full load. Acceleration is brisk with the good part being the keenness of the engine to rev all the way up to its 5k redline despite being a diesel mill. Performance even at the upper spectrum of the rev band is good for the class and lends the X3 a playful character.

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Steering is quick, direct and involving. The Adaptive Damping available in the xLine trim adds some more fun to the mix. The X3, as we mentioned before isn’t as performance focused as some other cars in the BMW family, with comfort and good ride quality placed quite high up the order. It’s a tad softer than what you’d expect from a Beemer. The DNA runs through the car’s veins though, and even with a bit of body roll thrown in, it shows great composure and balance when shown a bunch of bends.

Our only gripe would be the tyres, which decided to start wailing a bit too early than expected. Or probably it was just us having too much fun.

Is there something going against it?

As a family oriented, spacious, fun to drive crossover, the X3 is really hard to fault. It does the balancing act really well, and mixes everyday practicality with SUV attitude and fun-to-drive factor splendidly. Our only concern would be the lack of a spare, which, in Indian conditions can be a precarious thing, especially while venturing out into far flung areas with family aboard. The run-flat tech may work to limp you to safety, but it helps to know that you have a back-up if something goes wrong.

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And it’s not just an issue with the X3, we believe that the disappearing / shrinking spares on premium cars is a dichotomy – spelling an uneasy, insecure feeling for people who have splurged tens of lakhs of rupees for a hassle free, comfortable driving holiday with family. They don’t get in return what even the buyer of a car as basic as a Maruti Alto gets by default.

How does it stack up against competition in terms of price?

Pretty well, actually. The top of the line, X3 xDrive-20d xLine, at nearly Rs 53 lakh ex-showroom is actually a few lakhs cheaper than the equivalent top-spec offerings from the rivals with a similar engine. In that sense, the X3 represents good value, as it’s also the most fun car to drive of the bunch.

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Is there anything else I should know?

The new version of the car is more or less same as the previous version in terms of interior and features. You’d benefit greatly by reading our exhaustive road test review of the X3 xDrive 30d we did some time back. If you have any further doubts, please let us know about them via comments below and we’d be happy answer your queries.

Price as tested: Rs 53 lakh x-showroom for the xLine variant

Tech Specs :

Capacity in ccm                 1,995

Max. output                       190hp @ 4,000   rpm

Max. torque                       400 Nm @ 1,750 – 5,750 rpm

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