 AThe BMW X3 gets a new diesel heart – OverDrive (May ’09) takes a closer look…
The X3 diesel looks similar to the petrol variant in every way. It has sharp lines and aggressive muscular proportions which hint at its sportiness. Flared wheel arches, wide 17-inch wheels and low-ish profile tyres indicate a love for tarmac and a consequent reluctance for mud plugging. The interiors are identical also and the only noticeable change is the colour of the faux wood panels on the dash. The interior is surprisingly cozy with the rear even feeling a bit cramped. But the BMW is fully specified on the safety front, with eight airbags, DTC and ABS as standard.
The two-litre engine from the 320d Highline which BMW has tweaked to produce 178PS – up 8PS – is the X3’s new heart. This third generation turbocharged four-cylinder engine uses higher common-rail injector pressure of 1800 bar to boost power. Torque increases by 10Nm to 350Nm from 1750 to 3000rpm. The torque is the trump card which offers a more relaxed feel and improves drivability. The bottom end torque is a boon in the city as well as on the highway. The diesel touches 100kmph in 8.9 seconds while the petrol does it in 10.5 seconds. The diesel provides good mileage too, returning 8.9kmpl in the city and 13.3 on the highway.
 The X3 diesel also comes with the sophisticated xDrive –a permanent all-wheel drive system which, under normal circumstances distributes power between the front and rear axles in a 40:60 ratio. The xDrive uses a combination of anti-lock brakes, stability control, cornering brake control and a powerful on-board processor to keep the X3 stable. During hard cornering the XDrive works in union with stability and traction control, working the car’s yaw rate, steering angle and vehicle speed to ensure the car sticks to the road by distributing the power accordingly.
In a dynamic driving situation – this is the ideal car to drive – with its torquey diesel mill and the fabulous xDrive. But steep pricing, tight interiors and rough ride are the downsides of this 5-seater. So if you’re looking out for a car masquerading as a SUV (or SAV as BMW likes to call it), the X3 is for yousigns off OverDrive (May ’09).
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