Would you believe me if I told you that the original BMW X3 arrived as a bit of a shock? No, it's true. While BMW had started off down the SUV road with the (brilliant) 1999 X5, in 2003 the X3 came as a bit of a shocking second album so to speak. It looked almost deliberately weird, was surprisingly cramped inside and couldn't seriously go off-road. Critics almost universally hated it, but the buying public latched on, and so the X3 has gone on to become - over three successive generations - a massive success for BMW.
We're now on the fourth generation of the X3, (which has the in-house 'G45' codename, for those of you collecting BMW product codes) and I for one have changed my tune completely. That was not down to this model, but actually more to the third-generation X3, launched in 2018 and given a big update in 2021. Now this was an X3 I could get along with. It looked far more handsome than that gawky original and came with a gorgeously well-made interior that was both spacious and practical, not to mention exceptionally comfortable.
Which means we're expecting big things of this new car. After all, if the last-gen X3 was good enough to be my personal pick over and above the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC and Lexus NX, then this new one should be even better. Right?
Well, it certainly looks more dramatic. BMW has thrown out the 'taller 3 Series' look of the preceding X3 and brought in some of the sharp-edged lines and flat panels of both the electric iX and the upcoming replacement for the all-electric iX3. That car, as part of the 'Neue Klasse' generation of BMWs will go on sale late next year, but for now this X3 fills the gap with a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid options.
How much is the BMW X3 in Ireland?
The X3 is most assuredly not cheap. Not much is these days, unless you're shopping for Dacias, but the latest X3 is really quite pricey, kicking off at €70,405 for the plug-in hybrid X3 30e model. That gets an impressive electric-only range of 90km, and has an ultra-low CO2 rating of 22g/km.
That price is for the entry-level X-Line spec, which comes with LED headlights, powered tailgate, keyless entry, the big curved digital displays on the dash, electric front seat adjustment, wireless phone charging and a parking assistant with sensors and a rear-facing camera. You can have a petrol-fuelled xDrive20i version for €75,495 or a diesel xDrive20d for €75,472.
Next up is the ever-popular M Sport spec, which starts at €76,708 for the 30e plug-in hybrid, €78,365 for the xDrive20i petrol or €78,242 for the xDrive20d diesel - which is the one we're driving. Standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a mixture of synthetic suede and synthetic leather for the interior and optional sports suspension.
It's terrifyingly easy to seriously bump up the price of your X3, though. With a few ticks of boxes, our test car was specced to a senior €104,474 thanks to the addition of Black Sapphire metallic paint, 20-inch alloys, the 'M Sport Package Pro' (which includes adaptive suspension, the light up grille and red brake calipers among other styling add-ons), a towbar, a panoramic glass sunroof, a 'Technology Pack' (interior monitoring camera, upgraded electronic driving aids, a head-up display), the Comfort Plus Pack (Harmon/Kardon stereo, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, adaptive headlights), plus a few other bits and bobs.
At the top of the X3 tree for now is the M50 version, which features a turbocharged straight-six petrol engine making 398hp. That'll cost you €114,345.
Driving the BMW X3 on Irish roads
The new X3 has come in for a critical kicking in some quarters for its ride quality and... I just don't get it. We've driven cars, in recent years, with some truly shocking ride quality problems (the Tesla Model Y being the worst offender) but the X3, just doesn't warrant such criticism.
Is it stiffly sprung? Sure it is. It's a BMW M Sport product running on 20-inch alloys, so of course it is. But while it's stiff, the X3's exceptional damping control - certainly on the optional adaptive dampers fitted to our test car - is incredibly good. It reacts to a bump, and then instantly settles back down ready to deal with the next one. It's quite brilliant in that respect.
It's good to steer too, perhaps a little more distant from behind the wheel than some previous iterations of the X3, but still sharp and satisfying, and a step ahead of most of its rivals. It's not a light car (nudging two tonnes) and you can feel that weight and inertia catching up with you at times if you're trying to drive it in a sporty manner, but it is a quick, agile and surefooted point-to-point car; it's hard to think of another mid-size SUV that does it all quite so well.
The 2.0-litre diesel engine is more of a mixed bag. It's exceptionally quiet, which is good, but when you have become used to the instant torque of electric motors, the 20d's slightly lazy torque peak can make it seem a bit slower than it is. Then there's the whole issue of driving around in a car powered by dirty old diesel, even if BMW has added mild-hybrid assistance and cleaned up the exhaust. However, there's a big upside...
How economical is the BMW X3?
Diesel power might be old-school now, but it still has the capacity to impress at times. BMW quotes average fuel consumption for the X3 of 6.1 litres per 100km, and we more or less matched that, averaging 6.5 litres per 100km over a couple of weeks of mixed driving. However, the X3 can do better, and on some journeys, we were able to record an average of as good as 5.3 litres per 100km, which is seriously impressive for such a big machine. The X3 will almost crack the 1,000km range mark on a full tank of fuel, which is great and if you're someone with lots of long journeys to do, the X3 20d makes for a cracking long-haul companion.
What's the X3's interior like?
This is where the new X3 slips a bit. Its predecessor had a truly gorgeous, wonderfully well-made cabin but we're not sure about this new one. It's not bad, as the front seats are excellent, and so too is the driving position. The big digital screens and the optional head-up display are also very good, although as ever we have to point out that some more proper physical switches would make life on the go much easier. Space in the back seats is more than generous, and the boot measures a practical 570 litres.
However, there are some issues. It's too easy to spot the areas in the cabin where BMW's bean counters clicked their ballpoint pens and ticked a box that says, “We're not spending money on that.” Hence why there's too much in the way of cheap plastic to be found in a car that easily breaks the six-figure price barrier. Also, unlined door bins, letting everything in them rattle around endlessly? Come on, BMW - you can do better.
I have a final complaint and it's with the cabin's interactive light bar. Borrowed from the BMW 7 Series and 5 Series, the one in the X3 runs across the dash and into the doors and it's all a bit too... disco. Aside from the cool way it flashes red in sympathy with the hazard warning lights, I just couldn't see a proper reason for it to be there, and it's kind of cheesy. Bring back the previous X3's nice wood trim, please.
What are the BMW X3's rivals?
The X3 is going to face some serious competition in the coming years. Already, the Mercedes GLC is a good foil, even if it's hardly the most thrilling car you can buy. An all-new Audi Q5 - which also comes with a long-electric-range, plug-in-hybrid model - is about to land any day now, and the Lexus NX, although a little snugger inside, remains a truly excellent car.
There's also the Volvo XC60, or you could bump up the budget and go for the Range Rover Velar or the brilliant new electric Porsche Macan. Then there are the not-specifically-premium rivals to consider, which offer much of the X3's style for a lot less cash. Peugeot's new 3008 perhaps? Or you could take your X3 budget, get the brilliant and cool-to-look-at Hyundai Santa Fe, and still save yourself a five-figure sum.
And then, in 2026, we'll get the all-electric replacement for the old iX3, with a range that should just about touch the 600km mark, and a super-high-tech and stylish cabin. Will the X3 look as desirable when that's on sale?
Does the BMW X3 nail the brief?
To be honest, most of our complaints - with the cheap plastics, the light bar, the fact that diesel makes my eco-conscience itch - pretty much went right out the window every time I got back behind the X3's steering wheel. It's not perfect, and it's certainly expensive as heck, but this X3 xDrive20d is also terrific to drive, frugal, comfortable, practical and I even quite like the looks. At least until the new Q5 gets here, this is still the mid-sized premium SUV to beat.
Ask us anything about the BMW X3
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