BERLIN: BMW has been fettling the fourth-generation of its X3 off-roader in a bid to ensure the model remains one of the company's best money-spinners.
Prices at home in Germany will start at €57,900 (RM267,000) when the SUV leaves showrooms later this year and the manufacturer has opted for a no-risk policy on this stop-gap update.
The next SUV will be based on the much-vaunted "new class" which features new modular drive system and operating systems, while this new model retains the same multi-powertrain CLAR platform as its predecessor.
But let's not jump the gun. The latest X3 is a more conservative competitor to cars such as the Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC although its garish, glowing LEDs around the kidney grille may deter some buyers.
The styling is generally restrained for a contemporary BMW and the focus is on proportions rather than provocation.
It is no coincidence that the car is a few centimetres wider and flatter and looks crisper than the old model.
Where chrome once sparkled, LED strips now gleam - for example around the otherwise ordinary kidney grille. Only the huge air outlets underneath still bear witness to the exuberance to which the BMW designers have occasionally succumbed in recent times.
The fourth generation of the best-seller has grown to length of 4.76 metres and the wheelbase is a useful 2.87 metres. The X3 still serves as a great family taxi and with between 570 and 1,700 litres of space at hand, the boot behind electric tailgate can take yet another travel bag.
Above all, new X3 drives like a typical BMW. It feels tight on the road and provides the kind of driving experience missing from many rival SUVs and saloon cars.
The wide track improves road-holding and this car is among the more dynamic off-roaders out there.
Initially, the driving force will be a choice of four-cylinder engines, both petrol and diesel. These have 153 kW/208 hp or 145 kW/197 hp on tap and are both mild hybrids with 48-volt technology which should tame fuel consumption. BMW also has a six-cylinder petrol engine with 293 kW/398 hp on offer for the range-topping X3 M50 and is planning a new six-cylinder diesel for 2025.
Even the basic petrol engine accelerates from a standstill to 100kph in 7.8 seconds with up to 330 Nm of torque at its disposal. It can reach 215kph, with a speed of 250 kph reserved for the powerful variants.
While there will no longer be a purely electric iX3, a plug-in hybrid with a noticeably larger battery fills the gap. It has a system output of 220 kW/299 hp and achieves an electric range of up to 90km.
Inside, the operating concept points cautiously to the future but much is familiar. The slightly curved dual display can be seen in other models, the steering wheel retains old-fashioned switches and there is even a rocker switch for the gearbox on the centre tunnel.
But when it comes to ventilation, the Bavarians play around with sensor strips under the centre console and on knobbly control islands in the doors. It may be new, but seems cheap and requires more attention to use than the old sliders and dials.
And even budget brands would probably be ashamed of the light strips around the doors and the shelf between the seats, because they look far too colourful and down-market for a premium car like this one.
Otherwise, there is little to criticise about the new X3 from a driver's perspective. It has a suitable format, a pleasing shape, efficient engines and is still a lot of fun to own.
On top of that, the electronics make life easy. There is scarcely a better voice control system on the market. And apart from the playful aircon, everything on board is intuitive. With all this assistance, autonomous driving cannot be far away.
Cyclists, drivers of smaller cars and others sharing crowded urban streets are likely to be less enthusiastic about a fume-belching car of this size, however.
Amid a sluggish take-up of electric cars, BMW are expected to retain some ICE models, like this in the range, to keep sales high.
