[karan561]

Likes;

- Exterior Looks, Design & Kit (Finally the G01 gets MSport Kit in India)
- Ride & Handling Equilibrium (Thanks to Adaptive Suspension)
- Interior Design (Driver Centric), iDrive (User Friendliness)
- Engine Gearbox Combo (B48 + 8ZF)

Dislikes;

- This B48 in the X3 (SUV) only produces 350NM, whereas the same B48 is differently tuned in the G20 330i (Sedan) to produce 400 NM.
- Features such as Seat Ventilation, Wireless Charging(Temporarily) & Keyless Entry are missing.
- The Nicer M-Sport Variant is pricey (Strangely misses out on Leather seats & HUD).
- Where is the 20d (Should have been available at launch), 30d & X3M40i.

Video Review;

https://youtu.be/7S6e3Q4aNNA

Exteriors;

The most notable change for the 2022 X3 in India is the M Sport Kit offering. Interestingly the pre LCI G01 did not offer this option. M Sport treatment enhances the overall appeal for the X3 with the M Aero bumpers & High Gloss Shadowline Package.

Front;



Globally BMW offers 3 headlamps, one is the standard LED, then there is the Adaptive LED & the top of the line are these LASER HEADLAMPS. My test car came with Adaptive LED's.



The double kidney grilles are now slightly larger, higher and surrounded by a one piece metal frame. M Performance Gloss Black Grille upgrade highly recommended for this colour (Brooklyn Grey Metallic) to further enhance the looks. Grille Gets Active Air Flaps which provide cooling & reduce drag coeff. (Indirectly Saving Fuel) when required but also enable (when closed) faster engine heat up during cold starts.

Side;



As this is a facelift & not a new generation model the wheelbase length remains same as per the pre LCI. Also the M- Sport treatment continues with the M Badging & shadowline high gloss inserts & window trims. Pre-Booking customers get upgraded 20" M Sport Rims (With Staggered Tyres). Whereas the standard is 19" with 245's squared.



Rear;



The easiest giveaway/identification from rear that this X3 is the facelifted model is because of these re-styled Pincer Claw Shaped LED Tail Lamps.



M Sport Treatment continues with the sportier bumpers, prominently aggressive diffusers finished in Dark Shadow & the newly designed exhaust tips (Functional) which exude muscularity.

Engine & Gearbox Performance;



This B48 engine produces 252 HP. The highlight of this engine is its flexibility of the power delivery in the entirety of the RPM Range. Mid Range is strongest, with an exciting redline performance where as the lag down under is almost negligible. Acceleration feels quicker than factory quoted 6.6 Secs (0-100 km/h). Note this HAS Launch Control.



The only negative i have to report here and bring you all to notice is that the 30i in the x3 produces 350 NM whereas the same engine in the 3 series gets 400 NM, Not sure the exact reason for this but IMO the SUV counterpart deserved the same torque output (If not more).

Coming to the Gearbox, this is the familiar ZF unit (GA8HP50Z) which is always performing its duties with passion and never in two minds enabling a good synergy with the B48 up front.

Ride & Handling;



Globally the X3 comes with 3 suspension options, There is a Base, Sport (Fixed) & Adaptive. This particular piece gets the Adaptive Suspension. By adaptive it implies it adjusts the damper characteristics based on the Mode selected. Lets speak about the SPORT Mode 1st shall we. With all Truthfulness the X3 in Sport Mode is the equivalent of a high riding G20. Its important to note that the G01 is based on the CLAR platform which also underpins cars like the G20 3 Series & upto the G11 7 series. Remember this is genetically still a rear biased AWD with upto 40:60 split, So the Handling remains a attraction and a USP for enthusiasts. But for me the highlight is truly the Comfort mode, the damper settings allow a very premium & comfortable experience even with the runflats.



New Generation Runflats are good but still so are the new generation Tubeless tyres hence the ride quality will enhance even more with better, softer tyres something from the Michelin Pilot Sport SUV series. Current Tyre setup is 245/50 squared on 19"ers whereas pre-booking customers get 20" Staggered (245 Front & 275 Rear) Wheels as standard which will enhance the looks & handling with a compromise on ride.

Interiors;



To anyone who has spent time in the recent BMW's this will be a very familiar interior. The 12.3 inch iDrive screen features the very intuitive iDrive 7 & it's a good thing as the 8 is not give and globally people have preferred the 7 over the updated iDrive 8 which has a new screen & cluster too. The door pads have good soft touch materials in all the touch points that matter. X Stamping is a nice touch as well. This Control Island with the Gear Selector is familiar with the G20 3 Series. Mercifully this gen BMW Interiors have a good combination of Buttons, Knobs & Rocker Switches not just a large Touch Screen.Wireless Charger is missing for the March production due to SemiCon Chip shortage, however it is expected to be available for cars produced after March 2022. Comprehensively this is a very balanced, luxurious at the same time Driver Focussed BMW Interior.



The rear is spacious for a family however the Outer Seats are understandably more comfortable. The Arm Rest is well positioned & it can also drop down and used to place longer items in the boot. The Wheelbase allows decent legroom, but the highlight at the rear is the Panoramic Sunroof which enhances the sense of spaciousness for the rear passengers.

Final Thoughts;

To conclude things it would be fair to say that BMW have hit the sweet spot with modernising the Exteriors & Interiors with just the right ingredients to keep the X3 competitively relevant in the market. However the M Sport variant needed more kit & an aggressive sticker price to justify the Price Performance Ratio & the Sterling driving experience.

[Jangra]

Thanks Karan for another great review. Hoping for BMW to offer mighty 30D option on the X3.

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by karan561

Engine & Gearbox Performance;

This B48 engine produces 252 HP. The highlight of this engine is its flexibility of the power delivery in the entirety of the RPM Range. Mid Range is strongest, with an exciting redline performance where as the lag down under is almost negligible. Acceleration feels quicker than factory quoted 6.6 Secs (0-100 km/h). Note this HAS Launch Control.

The only negative I have to report here and bring you all to notice is that the 30i in the x3 produces 350 NM whereas the same engine in the 3 series gets 400 NM, Not sure the exact reason for this but IMO the SUV counterpart deserved the same torque output (If not more).

Coming to the Gearbox, this is the familiar ZF unit (GA8HP50Z) which is always performing its duties with passion and never in two minds enabling a good synergy with the B48 up front.

Great review like always Karan

As an owner of the 30i pre-LCI X3 have to agree on the flexibility of this turbo-petrol engine. The mid-range is very diesel-like, even the way it sounds in the mid-range at times is diesel-like. The mid-range is what gives this engine very brisk performance for a SUV.

For reasons best known to BMW the 30i is offered with varying power and torque figures for the different cars in their line-up

330i has an output of 258hp and 400Nm
530i has an output of 252hp and 350Nm
630i has an output of 258hp and 400Nm
X3/4 30i has an output of 252hp and 350Nm

And the LCI X3's claimed 0-100 is 6.6s which I don't agree with because the pre-LCI X3 with the same 30i engine had a claimed 6.3s 0-100.

Ride & Handling;

Globally the X3 comes with 3 suspension options, There is a Base, Sport (Fixed) & Adaptive. This particular piece gets the Adaptive Suspension. By adaptive it implies it adjusts the damper characteristics based on the Mode selected. Lets speak about the SPORT Mode 1st shall we. With all Truthfulness the X3 in Sport Mode is the equivalent of a high riding G20. Its important to note that the G01 is based on the CLAR platform which also underpins cars like the G20 3 Series & upto the G11 7 series. Remember this is genetically still a rear biased AWD with upto 40:60 split, So the Handling remains a attraction and a USP for enthusiasts. But for me the highlight is truly the Comfort mode, the damper settings allow a very premium & comfortable experience even with the runflats.

In Sport mode, in my ownership review I had said the X3 almost feels sedan-like in the way it tackles corners not 3er/5er level but close, good to see even you feel the same.

In my experience as well Comfort mode is the jack-of-all-trades, soaks bumps up really well running on the 19s atleast, 20s will be stiffer (only first 50 owners will experience the 20s though) and the engine is also responsive, last week was on a two-lane highway and comfort was sufficient for all overtakes and the ride was great on the speedhumps. Sport makes it very sensitive to throttle responses, leading it to be very snappy in stop-go traffic.

New Generation Runflats are good but still so are the new generation Tubeless tyres hence the ride quality will enhance even more with better, softer tyres something from the Michelin Pilot Sport SUV series. Current Tyre setup is 245/40 squared on 19"ers whereas pre-booking customers get 20" Staggered (245 Front & 275 Rear) Wheels as standard which will enhance the looks & handling with a compromise on ride.

Has BMW changed the tyre specifications on the 19s? My car has 245/50/R19s, I believe it should be the same on the LCI X3 with 19s as well.

Final Thoughts;

To conclude things it would be fair to say that BMW have hit the sweet spot with modernising the Exteriors & Interiors with just the right ingredients to keep the X3 competitively relevant in the market. However the M Sport variant needed more kit & an aggressive sticker price to justify the Price Performance Ratio & the Sterling driving experience.

The MSport's OTR in Mumbai is 78L, pre-LCI Luxury Line's 30i was 75L w/o discounts, I consider the 3L hike decent for the LCI with the kit added.

Pre-LCI Luxury Line misses out on these things vs the MSport LCI:
- 360 deg Camera
- Gesture Control
- MSport kit
- Sport seats (LCI gets it even in the SportX Plus trim)
- New larger 12.3 inch touchscreen
- Cognac interior colour choice

What the Luxury Line used to get over the MSport:
- Leather seats
- Wireless charger (this is a good riddance for the time being on the LCI, is very slow to charge a device and heats up the device considerably.)
- Mocha interior colour choice

Great to see BMW test out a new colour in the Indian market with this Brooklyn Grey, almost Nardo Grey like. The regular Blue, Black and White are very common on the roads.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by Jangra

Thanks Karan for another great review.

Thanks Jangra

Hoping for BMW to offer mighty 30D option on the X3.

Considering the previous gen F25 X3 had the 30d its unfortunate to see that BMW India have ignored giving 6 cyl Diesel in the G01 X3 (May be Strategically, So people still consider/opt the X5 ?).

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

Great review like always Karan

Thanks CEF for your appreciation

As an owner of the 30i pre-LCI X3 have to agree on the flexibility of this turbo-petrol engine. The mid-range is very diesel-like, even the way it sounds in the mid-range at times is diesel-like. The mid-range is what gives this engine very brisk performance for a SUV.

Indeed.

For reasons best known to BMW the 30i is offered with varying power and torque figures for the different cars in their line-up
330i has an output of 258hp and 400Nm
530i has an output of 252hp and 350Nm
630i has an output of 258hp and 400Nm
X3/4 30i has an output of 252hp and 350Nm

Yes, at least the SUV's deserved the same torque if not more.

And the LCI X3's claimed 0-100 is 6.6s which I don't agree with because the pre-LCI X3 with the same 30i engine had a claimed 6.3s 0-100.

Astounding.

In Sport mode, in my ownership review I had said the X3 almost feels sedan-like in the way it tackles corners not 3er/5er level but close, good to see even you feel the same.

YES !

In my experience as well Comfort mode is the jack-of-all-trades, soaks bumps up really well running on the 19s atleast, 20s will be stiffer (only first 50 owners will experience the 20s though) and the engine is also responsive, last week was on a two-lane highway and comfort was sufficient for all overtakes and the ride was great on the speedhumps. Sport makes it very sensitive to throttle responses, leading it to be very snappy in stop-go traffic.
Has BMW changed the tyre specifications on the 19s? My car has 245/50/R19s, I believe it should be the same on the LCI X3 with 19s as well.

Sorry, I was probably thinking about the 20s while typing the tyre specs of the 19s. So yes the tyre size for 19" is 245/50. Apologies for the inconvenience, requesting mods to rectify this mistake in my original post as well.

The MSport's OTR in Mumbai is 78L, pre-LCI Luxury Line's 30i was 75L w/o discounts, I consider the 3L hike decent for the LCI with the kit added.
Pre-LCI Luxury Line misses out on these things vs the MSport LCI:
- 360 deg Camera
- Gesture Control
- MSport kit
- Sport seats (LCI gets it even in the SportX Plus trim)
- New larger 12.3 inch touchscreen
- Cognac interior colour choice

What the Luxury Line used to get over the MSport:
- Leather seats
- Wireless charger (this is a good riddance for the time being on the LCI, is very slow to charge a device and heats up the device considerably.)
- Mocha interior colour choice

Well, the X3 in this price category seems Expensive for a 4 cyl. However thanks to the Competition who have also systematically increased prices which has led to this.

Great to see BMW test out a new colour in the Indian market with this Brooklyn Grey, almost Nardo Grey like. The regular Blue, Black and White are very common on the roads.

The Colour was striking in flesh, as its M Sport specific I'm sure that this colour (Brooklyn Grey Metallic) will lead to a lot of upgrade decisions from the base (Sport X) variant.

[el lobo 6061]

Originally Posted by karan561

Engine & Gearbox Performance;

Another great review Karan.

One question: Why didn't BMW India launch diesel variant 20d in X3 LCi?

Has this got something to do with
1. Chip Shortage
2. CAFE II Norms / BS6 Phase 2


Quoting from Autocar India
"The next round of regulations will kick off with the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE 2) rules in April 2022 that will lower the permissible average CO2 levels of any carmaker’s fleet from the current 130g/km to 113g/km. The following year, Real Driving Emissions (RDE) norms will require cars to achieve emission targets even in real world conditions, as opposed to just a laboratory environment. This second phase of BS6 (or BS6.2), then, is set to make the emission limits a lot harder to scale for automakers than before."

Link to article

[karan561]

Originally Posted by el lobo 6061

Another great review Karan.

Thanks el lobo

One question: Why didn't BMW India launch diesel variant 20d in X3 LCi

Not sure why BMW India did not launch the diesel variant at launch but the dealership has unofficially confirmed that the 20d will be coming soon.

[pradheepsr]

Excellent review.
I have always fancied the X3. But when I was in the market for a midsize luxury SUV an year ago, the X3 offered little in terms of packaging and engine options.
It had no 30d nor did it have the 40i in its line up with the M sport package.The only sport oriented variant being X3 40iM which was added on later and costed more than a crore on road.
BMW has made the same blunder again in providing little or no engine options with just cosmetic addons in the form of a Msport package.
This is disappointing.
Why not introduce the diesel 30 d (Xline) and 40i (Xline) at launch with an option of M sport package?
Why different torque figures for the same engine (B48) across models?
This is a question only BMW India can answer.

[Rajeev.Ayyappan]

Awesome review. Have taken delivery of mineral white X3 on 5th February and have driven 1000 km so far. Wonderful vehicle with balanced character. Sport plus converts it into a different animal altogether. Suspension is sorted in comfort mode and the ride is good even on the 20 inch alloys.

[AMG1]

Originally Posted by Rajeev.Ayyappan

Awesome review. Have taken delivery of mineral white X3 on 5th February and have driven 1000 km so far. Wonderful vehicle with balanced character. Sport plus converts it into a different animal altogether. Suspension is sorted in comfort mode and the ride is good even on the 20 inch alloys.

Congratulations! Wish you many fun miles ahead Please treat us with your SAV's pictures. Would love to see those 20 inchers.

[Thegermanbadger]

Having the F25 X3 I absolutly love the car. I really like the way the LCI looks. Even the tail lamps and grill. I'm biased though.

Agree with the sedan like dynamics and immense performance. I have a X3 3.0d and that thing flies even part throttle.

I hope the 6 cylinder engine options are made available soon. The X3 3.0d and X3 40i. They are some of the best. BMW is best known for its 6s.

Excited for this Gen and think it's a big step up from the F-series. Especially the interior quality and newer engines.

Will probably go test it out and compare to the F25.

Cheers

[GeeCee21]

Originally Posted by Rajeev.Ayyappan

Awesome review. Have taken delivery of mineral white X3 on 5th February and have driven 1000 km so far. Wonderful vehicle with balanced character. Sport plus converts it into a different animal altogether. Suspension is sorted in comfort mode and the ride is good even on the 20 inch alloys.

Congrats, I just inspected the thing in flesh in the showroom - no test drive vehicle.

Any other feedback - what surprised you, what didn't?

Also it seems to be not been clarified anywhere but does this have wireless car play - or is it wired?

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by GeeCee21

Also it seems to be not been clarified anywhere but does this have wireless car play - or is it wired?

Considering pre-LCI has wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, expect the same with this LCi.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by pradheepsr

Excellent review.

Thanks pradheepsr

Originally Posted by Rajeev.Ayyappan

Awesome review. Have taken delivery of mineral white X3 on 5th February and have driven 1000 km so far. Wonderful vehicle with balanced character. Sport plus converts it into a different animal altogether. Suspension is sorted in comfort mode and the ride is good even on the 20 inch alloys.

Thanks Rajeev, Glad to have a X3 LCI owner comment on this review thread. PLEASE do share pics of your Mineral White X3 LCI whenever convenient. All the best for your ownership, Enjoy !

Originally Posted by Thegermanbadger

Having the F25 X3 I absolutly love the car. I really like the way the LCI looks. Even the tail lamps and grill. I'm biased though. Agree with the sedan like dynamics and immense performance. I have a X3 3.0d and that thing flies even part throttle.

I hope the 6 cylinder engine options are made available soon. The X3 3.0d and X3 40i. They are some of the best. BMW is best known for its 6s.

Excited for this Gen and think it's a big step up from the F-series. Especially the interior quality and newer engines.

Will probably go test it out and compare to the F25.

In flesh its much more desirable, but still hold on to your X3 till the 6 cyl options open up for the G01.

[mobike008]

Hey Karan,

Fantastic video and really liked the way you broke the video into different sections.

I kind spent more time in 2 departments that is of most interest to me (Engine, Ride & Handling) and you did an awesome job in covering it in a holistic manner.

Obviously, my interest in this car is because I own an X3 and wanted to see your opinion. Good to know about the points you called out :

a) BMW quotes lower HP figures as the number quoted is not a match to the real power you experience behind the wheel. It is always, always much higher.

b) I noted you were disappointed with 350NM torque vs. 400 NM torque? Honestly, in real world does these numbers really make a difference? what matters is how this torque is delivered. Do you get instant power irrespective of whichever gear and speed are you in? If yes, then these torque numbers are moot.

c) Regarding handling, I find the X3 light and nimble. It is easy to throw it in corners at high speeds and still feel confident like how you would in a sedan (3-series).

However, I did note the handling is slightly effected dependent on which mode you are in. Handling in Sports + is best and feels exactly like a sedan (at least mine since its an X3 M40i) and cornering feel is insane and feels like I'm on rails. I drive hard and push the car to limits in all weather (snow, rain, sleet etc) and xdrive performs brilliantly. I hardly ever had a scary moment (maybe a couple of times when I slid) as handling is so precise. But, as rightly said on better rubber, the feeling will only get enhanced.

d) Ride is fine in every mode as road infrastructure here is top class.

In India, I would recommend using eco-pro mode the most if traveling through bad patches and use the comfort and sports in nicely laid highways. It does make a difference.

Dint see any comment on exhuast note. Is it good? Any video you plan to share on how it sounds when revved hard?

Finally, I am angry with BMW, they released the LCI just 6 months after I purchased as I love the new rear "claw" shaped lamps. All other updates is minor and not too different from my model so I am good about it.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Hey Karan,

Fantastic video and really liked the way you broke the video into different sections.

I kind spent more time in 2 departments that is of most interest to me (Engine, Ride & Handling) and you did an awesome job in covering it in a holistic manner.

Hi mobike, Thanks for your kind comments & special appreciation towards my video

Obviously, my interest in this car is because I own an X3 and wanted to see your opinion. Good to know about the points you called out :

a) BMW quotes lower HP figures as the number quoted is not a match to the real power you experience behind the wheel. It is always, always much higher.

b) I noted you were disappointed with 350NM torque vs. 400 NM torque? Honestly, in real world does these numbers really make a difference? what matters is how this torque is delivered. Do you get instant power irrespective of whichever gear and speed are you in? If yes, then these torque numbers are moot.

c) Regarding handling, I find the X3 light and nimble. It is easy to throw it in corners at high speeds and still feel confident like how you would in a sedan (3-series).

However, I did note the handling is slightly effected dependent on which mode you are in. Handling in Sports + is best and feels exactly like a sedan (at least mine since its an X3 M40i) and cornering feel is insane and feels like I'm on rails. I drive hard and push the car to limits in all weather (snow, rain, sleet etc) and xdrive performs brilliantly. I hardly ever had a scary moment (maybe a couple of times when I slid) as handling is so precise. But, as rightly said on better rubber, the feeling will only get enhanced.

d) Ride is fine in every mode as road infrastructure here is top class.

YES !

In India, I would recommend using eco-pro mode the most if traveling through bad patches and use the comfort and sports in nicely laid highways. It does make a difference.

Correct Recommendation.

Dint see any comment on exhuast note. Is it good? Any video you plan to share on how it sounds when revved hard?

The Car was on the standard Exhaust, not sure if an M Performance exhaust is available (Ideally it should be) as I wasn't able to find the part no. however if available the surely recommended to juice up the driving experience.

Finally, I am angry with BMW, they released the LCI just 6 months after I purchased as I love the new rear "claw" shaped lamps.

I can understand, but hey you still have the M Performance Model i.e. M40i which is not (Yet) Available in India