SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
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Pics by BMW-Motorpresse
Posted: 15 April 2018
The numbers
Base price: R693 489 incl. CO2 tax
Price with X-Line package and CO2 tax: R726 089
Engine: BMW B47D20, 1995 cc, 16-valve, four-cylinder, single scroll turbodiesel
Power: 140 kW at 4000 rpm
Torque: 400 Nm between 1750 and 2500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 8.1 seconds
Maximum speed: 210 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7.2 l/100 km
Tank: 67 litres
Luggage: 550 – 1600 litres
Ground clearance: 204 mm
Turning circle: 11.9 metres
Maximum (braked) towing mass: 2400 kg
Motorplan: 5 years / 100 000 km
Fast facts: This third generation of BMW’s luxury compact SUV, or SAV in BMW-speak, was introduced in June 2017 and is a completely new design by Australian, Calvin Luk. It incorporates new technologies from the latest 5-series cars including optional gesture control, LED exterior and interior lighting and BMW iDrive 6.0 with 12.5-inch touch-screen for upper level navigation systems. It’s up to 55 kg lighter than a comparably equipped corresponding model from the previous generation.
Headlights, fog lamps, grille and front bumper are all new, as are side panels and almost everything at the back. The interior was redone too. Apart from that, the new car is 54 mm longer on a wheelbase extended by 56 mm and 7 millimetres wider but 37 mm lower. Between then and now it picked up five kilowatts more power and 20 Nm of extra torque as well. It really is new but still obviously an X3. And that’s reassuring.
Four models comprise two- and three-litre diesels and a pair with 3.0 petrol engines – a “plain” 30i and a vigorous M40i that develops a lot more power but costs 34 percent extra. Our test car was the “entry-level” 2.0 turbodiesel; fitted with one of three optional styling kits, X-Line, at a premium of R32 600.
This pack features some trim items we could either take or leave but, more importantly, adds Y-spoked wheels with 245/50R19 tyres to replace the original 225/60R18 rubberware, and sports seats for driver and front passenger. These adjust mechanically to provide reach, lift and tilt, under thigh extension and recline functions. Electrically powered lumbar support (both sides) is an option at R4100. A no-cost option was an alloy spacesaver spare with 135/80R18 tyre; surely a no-brainer in South Africa.
There is no manual choice on X3s, so our test unit came with an eight-speed Steptronic transmission (ZF 8HP50) like those fitted to other BMWs, some Jeeps and Alfa Romeo Giulia. It’s a beautiful box that changes almost intuitively, never hesitates and kicks down smoothly. The Sports Automatic with standard paddles and sportier version of performance control is not available at this level.
Standard equipment includes auto stop-start; powered tailgate; auto-on wipers and lights. Front fog lamps, low beams, DRLs and sidelights are LED. Main beams are halogen. There is also braking energy regeneration; driving experience control with sport, comfort and EcoPro settings; hill descent control; Performance Control with variable torque distribution at the rear wheels; variable sport steering and xDrive permanent awd.
This splits torque as needed between front and rear axles using a multi-plate wet clutch within the gearbox. Power is normally allocated 40:60 (front-rear) but should the ABS/DSC system detect slippage, xDrive reacts within a tenth of a second to distribute up to 100 percent to either axle - as conditions permit.
Because the rear driveshaft is hard-coupled to the transmission output, full torque transfer to the front can only happen if neither rear wheel has traction. Should wheel-spin or directional instability still occur while xDrive is modulating the torque split, DSC will apply braking force to individual wheels to restore control. Because both differentials are of open design, this is the only way to facilitate power transfer in circumstances like this.
Other standard equipment not yet mentioned includes cruise control with automatic braking and speed limiter, electric parking brake, keyless start; personal profile settings controlled by the key, 40:20:40-split rear seat with load-through, six airbags, drive-away locking, ABS brakes with all the add-ons, runflat tyres with pressure monitoring and rear fog lamps incorporated into the taillights. There is also business-level satnav, onboard computer, a good journeyman radio-CD player with Bluetooth and plugs and BMW Connected Drive services.
Being a BMW it’s an easy and powerful drive, handling and braking is excellent, fit and finish is as expected and there is plenty of space for people and luggage. We took it up our tenderfoot trail with its menu of mud, small gullies and hills with loose stone. The xDrive didn’t miss a beat.
It’s so good it could almost be called boring, but one expects that. And it’s reassuring.
Test unit from BMWSA press fleet
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.
If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles. And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8