BMW X3

BMW South Africa is undergoing some fundamental changes currently, not least of which is the changeover from producing the BMW 3 Series at Plant Rosslyn, to build the new X3 instead. BERNIE HELLBERG sampled this third-generation of BMW’s mid-size SAV in the Western Cape recently.

BMW has an excellent story to tell in South Africa, both from a sales perspective, but also from a manufacturing point of view. Plant Rosslyn, on the outskirts of Pretoria, was the very first BMW plant to be built outside of Germany in the 1970s and has been producing some of the most popular BMW models in the world ever since.

It’s an award-winning facility that was recently awarded the contract to produce right-hand-drive versions of the brand new BMW X3 range, and if rumours currently doing the industry rounds are to be believed, they might soon add the production of another BMW model to the plant’s repertoire.

Overall, the local proxy for the revered Munich automaker has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Much like the X3 itself has evolved, from rather humble beginnings, into one of the most popular vehicles in the Bayerische Motoren Werke stable.

LOOKING BACK

2003 marked the start of the journey of BMW’s first-generation X3 sports activity vehicle (SAV), the pioneer of the mid-size all-purpose car. Since then, 1,500,000 new X3s have been registered worldwide, and in 2016, nearly 25% of all BMW X-cars were of the X3 variety.

The global popularity of both the firstand second-generation X3 has laid the groundwork for the new third-gen car in the hearts and minds of a leisure-mad buying public. And BMW certainly has not disappointed with its latest offering.

IN THE NOW

To say that BMW has redeveloped the X3 would be somewhat of an understatement. A re-imagining, if you will, would be a more fitting narrative for the car.

Every aspect of it has drawn the attention of BMW’s army of development engineers who have been poring over the car’s development in the last few years.