It’s not often that BMW has to perform a little remedial action. They’re traditionally a right first time sort of operation but the X3 was never great straight out the crate. The two words I kept hearing when discussing the X3 were ‘plastic’ and ‘overpriced, ’ never great brand values for a prestige compact 4x4. The latest car has benefited from a raft of improvements not least of which is the fitting of a punchy 218bhp 2.5-litre engine to what is now the entry-level petrol model. The X3 2.5si generates a wholly different Range of buzzwords. Fast, fun and composed are just a few.
This isn’t the same 192bhp 2.5-litre engine that powered the last generation X3. Instead this X3 gets a far more modern piece of engineering with a healthier slug of torque and the mumbo to move what is quite a sizeable vehicle. Based on the world’s lightest six-cylinder engine, this powerplant is largely constructed of aluminium and magnesium alloys. It’s enough to punt the X3 to 60mph in 8.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 137mph which is some going for the entry level car. Petrol buyers looking to step off the line even faster can pay a bit more for the 272bhp 3.0-litre should they so wish.
As great as the bigger engine is, I’d have difficulty looking beyond the 2.5si if I needed an X3 that drank from the green pump. While the 3.0-litre diesel is probably the pick of the X3 Range, it’s markedly dearer than the £32,570 2.5si and, in the real world, not always quicker. The 2.5’s fuel consumption figure of 28.5mpg also means you’d have to rack up some major mileages to justify the diesel car in terms of fuel savings. The X3 feels pleasantly nuggety to drive, all of a piece if you like. It drives like it looks, compact and car-like rather than a lumbering 4x4. Yes, it is reasonably useless off road but that’s hardly the point. The X3 appeals to a discrete niche and now does so very well. BMW has succeeded in turning the problem child of its family into a star pupil.
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