‘THE PERFECT SIZE’
The X3 is equipped with LED headlights, hexagonal designed fog lamps, ‘three-dimensional’ kidney grille, side lights, cornering lights, high-beam assist, 19-inch light alloy wheels, full LED tail lights, roof spoiler, twin exhaust tailpipes, comfort access with handsfree powered boot function, driving experience control, keyless entry, leather upholstery, leather sport seats, multifunction leather steering wheel, ambient lights, multi-function digital instrument cluster, 10.25-inch infotainment system with touch control function, welcome light carpet and BMW ConnectedDrive.
As for the safety aspects, the X3 is fitted with an anti-lock braking system, six airbags, hill-descent control, dynamic-stability control, rear camera with park distance control, parking assistant aids with automatic parking into parallel and lateral parking spaces, brake assist, traction control, dynamic brake force display with flashing function, dynamic brake control, electronic differential lock control, cruise control with brake function and ISOFIX childseat mounting points.
The BMW X3 xDrive30i mid-sized sports activity vehicle (SAV) is priced at RM313,800 excluding insurance, registration and taxes. It is covered with the BMW five-year unlimited mileage warranty with free scheduled service programme, two-year run flat tyre warranty programme, BMW roadside assistance and accident hotline, BMW Group Loyalty mobile app with BMW White Card and the BMW service online.
THE DRIVE
The BMW X3 xDrive30i is a luxury SAV that is comfortable and powerful, and delivers agile handling.
It is powerful enough for easy overtaking manoeuvres on the highway, or sprinting up a hill. The X3 is stable in corners and provides maximum grip during high-speed cornering, even under wet road conditions. It felt like we were driving a luxury sedan instead of a tall SAV.
The light-medium weighted steering responded to the driver’s commands accurately and quickly. It also provided precise feedback to the driver.
On the inside, the X3 is finished with Dark Oak fine wood interior trims with accent strip in Peal Chrome, which gave it a classy and luxurious feel. It also offers generous space, providing ample head room, shoulder room and leg room, to all its occupants.
There were very minimum engine, tyre and wind noise that was able to penetrate into the cabin of the X3. Even from the outside, we were unable to hear the engine sound when it rolled into a parking lot.
The iDrive infotainment system’s controls are user-friendly and easy to reach from the front seats.
We managed to clock over 700km in the BMW X3 xDrive30i, driving through cities, highways and rural areas. A mixture of highway and city driving gave 9.2 to 10.6 litres per 100km (l/100km). Cruising on the highway below legal speed limit consumed about 5.8 to 6.7 l/100km. After some full-throttle driving, it recorded 11.5 to 13.6l/100km.
Overall, the X3 is a beautiful SAV, with mild off-road capability, thanks to the xDrive system. However, it still falls short in some areas and lacks some features. It would help on longdistance drives if the X3 were equipped with adaptive cruise control, a lane departure warning feature and blind spot warning system.