FIRST REPORT
BMW X3
SUV takes its place on our fleet in potent six-cylinder faux-M form
WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Is this good enough to be the performance X3?
The BMW X3 M is one of those cars that has a reputation for attracting a certain kind of buyer. But actually its buyer base is much broader than you might think, because it has always been a very capable and very practical performance car. Like a taller, roomier version of the M3. So there is good reason for people to be disappointed that BMW’s performance division probably isn’t going to give us a new X3 M – not one with a combustion engine, at least. And yes, this means that, despite its aggressive appearance and lofty price, the range-topping X3 you see here is not an M car. Instead, it’s an M Performance car – an X3 M50.
The expected ditching of the X3 M isn’t the only way in which this model range has changed. The X3 was first produced in 2003 (22 years ago!) as an SUV version of the 3 Series, which made relative sense. Use the 3 Series chassis, add a bit of ride height, make sure it gets four-wheel drive and voilà: you have something to market. You might even argue that BMW was hedging its bets slightly, having offloaded the manufacturing to Magna Steyr.