BMW X3
Encyclopedia
The BMW X3 is a compact
crossover SUV
marketed by the German
automaker
BMW
, based on the BMW 3-Series automobile platform
, and now in its second generation. BMW designed the X3 in conjunction with Magna Steyr
of Graz
, Austria
— who manufactured all X3s under contract to BMW for the first generation. Production of the second generation vehicle has transferred to BMW's Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, USA.
Following the X5
, the X3 was the second vehicle marketed by BMW
as a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV)
.
based on the 3 Series platform, without windows and a vestigial roof.
As BMW used parts from the E39 5 Series in making the X5, likewise BMW engineers employed 3 Series parts with the X3, e.g., the rear suspension from the E46 330xi.
, Audi Q5
, Cadillac SRX
, Infiniti EX
35, Mercedes-Benz GLK and Land Rover LR2.
However the X3 was initially criticized for its harsh ride, an austere, minimalist interior that relied heavily on obviously plastic components, and lack of off-road capability due to its passenger car platform. Critics also felt the car was overpriced; a basic 2.5i, which lacked cruise control or automatic headlights and had leatherette (vinyl) upholstery, exceeded $30,000 in the U.S. (Vinyl has never been offered in other markets). The automotive press has provided mixed views of the X3. Jeremy Clarkson
even said that the X3 was for people who are clinically insane after his road test of it. He also criticized it for its harsh ride, and pointed to the poor off-road ability. He got stuck multiple times because of deep mud and used summer tyres. Automotive press generally liked xDrive capability, safe bottom for rough terrain and hill-descent control, but pointed to its only real down side against typical off-road cars: missing gear reduction which allows a vehicle to drive very slowly on rough terrain without using the clutch (on manual gearbox) or warming up the gearbox (automatic gearbox).
The X3 3.0i won the Canadian Car of the Year
Best Sports Utility Vehicle award for 2005. The benchmark with other vehicles can be accessed in http://www.ajac.ca/web/ccoty/2005/vote_results/sport_utility.asp
BMW sought to rectify these complaints in 2005, with various upgrades. In 2007, BMW did a significant mid cycle refresh of the X3. Multiple upgrades included update body bumpers, engine, interiors, and suspension.
The F25-based X3 is almost as large as the original X5 E53.
For 2011 the F25 X3 is available in the US, only with a 3 liter inline 6 cyl. petrol engine either normally aspirated or with a twin scroll turbocharger. All US market vehicles come with an 8-speed automatic transmission. In other world markets various combinations of engines are offered including 2 and 3 liter diesel engines with either the 8-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission. All X3's are equipped with BMW's X-Drive all wheel drive system.
The X3 Cross Country, also known as the X3 CC is an X3 prepared for rally raid
competition. It features a 2.9 liter inline-6 (debore and destroked M57TU2D30
engine from 3.0 litre to 2.9 litre), twin turbocharged diesel engine.
Compact SUV
Compact SUV is a class of small sport utility vehicles with a length roughly between . This class should not be confused with mini SUV, which refers to smaller vehicles.- Background :...
crossover SUV
Crossover SUV
A crossover SUV is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.Using the unibody construction typical of passenger vehicles, the crossover...
marketed by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automaker
Automaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, based on the BMW 3-Series automobile platform
Automobile platform
An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...
, and now in its second generation. BMW designed the X3 in conjunction with Magna Steyr
Magna Steyr
Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG is an automobile manufacturer based in Oberwaltersdorf, Austria, with its primary manufacturing location in Graz...
of Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
— who manufactured all X3s under contract to BMW for the first generation. Production of the second generation vehicle has transferred to BMW's Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, USA.
Following the X5
BMW X5
The BMW X5 is a luxury crossover SUV introduced in 1999 as the first generation E53. It was BMW's first SUV also known as "Four-by-Four" in the UK. It features all-wheel drive which is branded as the "X" drive system and is available with either manual or automatic transmission...
, the X3 was the second vehicle marketed by BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
as a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV)
BMW Sports Activity Series
The sports activity vehicle and coupe series is a marketing description by BMW to describe a line of vehicles that traditionally were in the crossover Sport Utility Vehicle class....
.
History and development
BMW presented the precursor to the X3 as a concept vehicle unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2003. Dubbed the xActivity, BMW previewed a SAVBMW Sports Activity Series
The sports activity vehicle and coupe series is a marketing description by BMW to describe a line of vehicles that traditionally were in the crossover Sport Utility Vehicle class....
based on the 3 Series platform, without windows and a vestigial roof.
As BMW used parts from the E39 5 Series in making the X5, likewise BMW engineers employed 3 Series parts with the X3, e.g., the rear suspension from the E46 330xi.
xDrive
When the BMW X3 premiered in late 2003, BMW announced that it would employ a new 4 wheel drive system to power it and the X5, a system marketed as xDrive that would intervene transparently to the driver before the driver was aware of instability.E83, First generation (2004-2010)
The BMW X3 was a big sales success for the marque and inspired similar offerings from rivals, such as the Acura RDXAcura RDX
The Acura RDX is Acura’s first compact crossover SUV. Originally previewed as the Acura RD-X concept car, the production RDX had its debut at the 2006 New York Auto Show and went on sale on August 11, 2006....
, Audi Q5
Audi Q5
The Audi Q5 is a compact crossover SUV which was released by German automaker Audi for the 2009 model year. It is built using the new Audi MLP platform which debuted in the 2007 Audi A5 coupé. The Q5 is the second Audi model in the "Q" range, after the full-size Q7...
, Cadillac SRX
Cadillac SRX
Engine options include the High-Feature V6 and the 4.6 L Northstar V8. It is based on the GM Sigma platform and comes with a five or six-speed automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are available....
, Infiniti EX
Infiniti EX
The Infiniti EX is a premium-type compact crossover SUV priced below the Infiniti FX. It is based on the same FM platform as the Infiniti G, M, and FX models.- Infiniti EX Concept :...
35, Mercedes-Benz GLK and Land Rover LR2.
However the X3 was initially criticized for its harsh ride, an austere, minimalist interior that relied heavily on obviously plastic components, and lack of off-road capability due to its passenger car platform. Critics also felt the car was overpriced; a basic 2.5i, which lacked cruise control or automatic headlights and had leatherette (vinyl) upholstery, exceeded $30,000 in the U.S. (Vinyl has never been offered in other markets). The automotive press has provided mixed views of the X3. Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
even said that the X3 was for people who are clinically insane after his road test of it. He also criticized it for its harsh ride, and pointed to the poor off-road ability. He got stuck multiple times because of deep mud and used summer tyres. Automotive press generally liked xDrive capability, safe bottom for rough terrain and hill-descent control, but pointed to its only real down side against typical off-road cars: missing gear reduction which allows a vehicle to drive very slowly on rough terrain without using the clutch (on manual gearbox) or warming up the gearbox (automatic gearbox).
The X3 3.0i won the Canadian Car of the Year
Canadian Car of the Year
Canadian Car of the Year winners, as chosen by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada:-Canadian Car of the Year:-2011:Canadian Car of the Year winners, as chosen by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada:...
Best Sports Utility Vehicle award for 2005. The benchmark with other vehicles can be accessed in http://www.ajac.ca/web/ccoty/2005/vote_results/sport_utility.asp
BMW sought to rectify these complaints in 2005, with various upgrades. In 2007, BMW did a significant mid cycle refresh of the X3. Multiple upgrades included update body bumpers, engine, interiors, and suspension.
F25, Second generation (2011)
The F25 platform is the second generation of BMW X3 being released for the 2011 model year. For this generation production will move from Austria to BMW's US factory in Spartanburg, SC which currently produces the X5 and X6.The F25-based X3 is almost as large as the original X5 E53.
For 2011 the F25 X3 is available in the US, only with a 3 liter inline 6 cyl. petrol engine either normally aspirated or with a twin scroll turbocharger. All US market vehicles come with an 8-speed automatic transmission. In other world markets various combinations of engines are offered including 2 and 3 liter diesel engines with either the 8-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission. All X3's are equipped with BMW's X-Drive all wheel drive system.
X3 Cross Country
Rally raid
Rally raid, also known as cross country rallying is a form of long distance off-road racing that takes place over several days. Each day may require traveling up to . The length of the event can be 3–15 days...
competition. It features a 2.9 liter inline-6 (debore and destroked M57TU2D30
BMW M57
The BMW M57 is a straight-6 diesel engine produced from 1998. It won the "2.5–3 L" category of the International Engine of the Year award for 1999 through 2002. The downgraded twin-turbocharger version won that same award in 2005 and 2006...
engine from 3.0 litre to 2.9 litre), twin turbocharged diesel engine.
Production and sales
In 2005 BMW sold 20 percent more X3s than in 2004, making sales of 110,700 vehicles. On 18 June 2008 was the 500,000th X3 in Graz produced.| Calendar year | Total production | US sales |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 92,248 | 34,604 |
| 2005 | 110,719 | 30,769 |
| 2006 | 114,000 | 31,291 |
| 2007 | 111,879 | 28,058 |
| 2008 | 84,440 | 17,622 |
| 2009 | 55,634 | 6,067 |
| 2010 | 6,075 |
External links
- BMW X3 Review - Motorstop.asia
- BMW X3 Long Term Test from Motortrend.com
- BMW X3 BMW International website
- BMW X3 UK BMW X3 Information & Review Website
- BMW X3 3.0sd (E83) - 2008 (bi-turbo diesel) test drive, review