BMW X3

The BMW X3 is a 5-seater SUV from the German manufacturer which focuses on providing good space and a comfortable ride quality to its buyers.It does that while keeping design and features in mind. In its updated avatar, it now appeals to younger buyers due to its standout design, but in doing so, it strays away from the subtlety some expect of a German luxury SUV. The new BMW X3 has definitely changed significantly. Is it for the better?

• At first glance, the 2025 BMX X3 looks like it has come out of a video game garage.

• What stands out the most is the huge illuminated kidney grille, which is now seen in cars like the 7 series, and the rear end reminds you of the XM.

• Thoughts have been put in the lighting elements as the LED DRLs have a pulsating effect when you lock and unlock the car.

• The LED projector headlamps have also been neatly integrated next to the DRLs and the LED tail lamp also has a similar pulsating effect, which looks pretty cool.

• At over 4.7 metres, the X3 is a long car which is very evident when looked at from the profiles.

• But the slightly sloping roofline and the long bonnet stops it from looking like a tall SUV.

• The most eye-catching design element here are the 19-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, which have a very interesting design.

• At first you see the huge pentagon, then you see the small “X”s at the intersections, and lastly you’ll notice the petal-like design with the BMW logo at the centre.

• The rear end, while similar to the XM, looks less dramatic when compared to the front design.

• It does not look bad, but it can seem quite polarising..

• BMW offers it in 5 monotone colours: Dune Grey Metallic, Alpine White, Brooklyn Grey Metallic, Individual Tanzanite Blue, and Black Sapphire Metallic.

Design & Quality

• BMW X3’s cabin is available with two shades of upholstery: Expresso Brown and Calm Beige.

• The dashboard design gives futuristic vibes due to its asymmetrical layout, sharp edges, and multiple lighting elements.

• It looks very sporty and appeals to the youth much like the exterior, but due to the polarising cabin, it may not be appealing to everyone.

• The cabin is filled with ambient lighting which spans the dashboard, AC vents, and the centre console.

• These lights look very nice and change the cabin experience significantly, especially at night.

• What I did not like was the touch sensitive controls for fan speed, which are independent for each vent, and the unusually placed small flimsy knobs for the vent direction, which feel cheap.

• Also, there are no physical controls for temperature control and seat ventilation, which is a drawback of this futuristic cabin design.

• As far as quality is concerned, the materials used are top-notch and the fit and finish gives no complaints.

• But the textured fabric finish on the doors is not what you expect in an Rs 80 lakh SUV, and the cabin is filled with glossy elements, which are bound to show scratches over time.

• The overall design looks nice, and the cabin quality is also good, but it does not have the subtlety some expect from a luxury SUV.

Driving Position

• The driver seat is powered, comes with adjustable lumbar support, and the presence of tilt and telescopic steering wheel makes it easy to find your ideal driving position.

• You can also set your driving position in the memory function, so you don't have to adjust it back every time someone else drives.

• There is enough space here for large and tall people, and both front seats get adjustable under thigh support for a more comfortable position.

• As far as visibility is concerned, taller drivers won’t face any problems, but shorter drivers might have some issues looking beyond the long bonnet.

Passenger Comfort

• X3’s rear seat has enough space to seat 3 passengers comfortably.

• The cushioning is slightly on the stiffer side, there is ample headroom even after the presence of a panoramic glassroof, and there is no issue when it comes to legroom or kneeroom.

• Underthigh support, on the other hand, could have been slightly better.

• The rear seat’s recline is at the perfect angle, so you easily relax here, and the height of the central armrest matches perfectly with the door armrest, so you can sit here comfortably for a longer period of time.

• If you want some privacy, or if the sun is bothering you too much, the rear windows get sunblinds.

Storage Options

• All four doors get 1-litre bottle holders, there’s a big glovebox with a tray for your documents, there’s storage under the front armrest, two cupholders in the centre console, and a tray to keep your phone.

• Rear passengers get two cupholders in the centre armrest, and seat back pockets. However, these are mesh-like pockets, which don’t look that good.

• Behind the front seats, BMW has also provided mounting points which you can use to mount additional screens.

Features

• When you’re paying close to Rs 80 lakh (ex-showroom), you want all the features that you can get, and the X3 gives you just that.

• It comes with a curved screen setup which has a huge 14-inch touchscreen, and a digital driver’s display.

• The touchscreen is responsive, quick, and has sporty looking graphics.

• It can also be controlled via the rotary dial placed in the centre console.

• The design of the rotary dial looks nice but its flat and shallow design makes it less easy to use than the dials provided in older generation BMWs.

• You can set multiple different driver profiles, each with its own setting, and this screen supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, both of which work seamlessly.

• The driver’s display shares similar graphics and has multiple views as per your liking.

• To make this experience even more futuristic, BMW has added an augmented reality heads-up display, which can also be customized in different ways.

• If you’re an audiophile, you like the Harman/Kardon sound system which offers a crisp and surrounding sound experience.

• Front seats get a ventilation function which works quietly and cools the seat in no time.

• There’s also a panoramic glass roof which makes the cabin look more premium and brings more light.

• There’s a selfie camera in the cabin if you want to take photos or record your drive.

• BMW has offered a 360-degree camera with a clear feed and you can select different views in the 3D mode.

• Also, BMW offers something called augmented reality navigation, which displays turn by turn arrows on the screen while using the in-built navigation system.

• Other features include cruise control, a wireless phone charger, three-zone climate control, and front and rear camera washers.

• In terms of safety, it gets multiple airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), electronic stability control (ESC), hill hold and descent control, all-wheel disc brakes, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, and a 360-degree camera.

• It also comes with Level 2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane follow assist, and autonomous emergency braking.

• However, the settings for ADAS have to be controlled from the screen after going through many sections, which just adds additional steps to the process.

• X3’s boot is deep and wide but not tall, which means you can’t stack large suitcases here with ease.

• It has enough space to keep a 3-suitcase set (small, medium, and large) along with 2-3 small soft bags.

• We advise that you keep smaller suitcases here to utilize this boot properly.

• The boot floor is flat, which makes loading and unloading easy, and if you fold the rear seats you get a flatbed to keep larger items.

• Also, to make the loading and unloading process even more convenient, the X3 gets a powered tailgate, which really comes in handy.

• The BMW X3 comes with 2-litre petrol and diesel engines, both paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission in an all-wheel-drive system.

2-litre diesel

• We drove the diesel variant of the X3 and the drive experience gave us no complaints.

• The engine was refined with little to no vibrations, and the power delivery was smooth with linear acceleration.

• You get quick acceleration with this engine as evident from the claimed 0-100 kmph time of under 8 seconds, and this car is fast to triple digits.

• Overtakes are effortless whether you’re driving in the city or on the highway.

• The 8-speed automatic changes gears quickly with little to no jerk, and it knows when to downshift one or even two gears when you need to quickly overtake someone.

• There’s also a sports mode which gives you a better throttle response, and it stiffens the suspension a bit for a more sporty feel.

• However, the drive experience is not as exciting as you typically expect from BMWs.

• While it is fast, it does not give you a thrilling experience, and the drive is more comfort-focused, which is suitable for its SUV persona.

2-litre petrol

• This engine offers a similar drive experience but with even better refinement and lower vibrations.

• While it is less powerful than the diesel engine, that does not have a big impact on your drives.

• Overtakes are effortless here as well, and the quick acceleration is present too.

• The ride comfort of the X3 is comfortable on most surfaces, and it can easily handle small potholes and speed breakers.

• Even on deeper potholes, the side to side movement of the cabin is well controlled, which saves the passengers from any sudden movement.

• It gets adaptive suspension, which you can change based on your drive mode.

• In efficiency mode, the suspension becomes softer and makes the ride more comfortable. This makes low speed city driving comfortable and can also help deal with bumpy concrete highways. 

• In sports mode, the suspensions stiffen up a bit which gives you and the passengers more feeling of the surface.

• While this does give a sporty feeling and keeps movement in check, you feel a lot of sudden jerks and impacts from the rough patches and even smaller cracks are felt inside the cabin.

• Overall the ride quality is comfortable and the ability to change the way suspension behaves gives you better control over the comfort of all passengers.

• When it comes to handling, you realize that the X3 is an SUV first and a BMW later.

• It is not as agile and confidence inspiring on corners, and you do face significant side to side movement while taking those corners.

• This is better controlled in sports mode, but still it is not as good as a performance biased BMW.

• The X3 is more of a family SUV than a performance car, and the handling has been set that way.

• BMW offers the X3 in a single fully-loaded variant and the only choice you get is between the petrol and diesel powertrains.

The 2025 BMW X3 is more inclined towards the younger buyer who prioritizes technology, comfort and modern design over drive excitement  and handling, but the SUV still manages to offer the latter to a reasonable extent. On the inside and out, many of the design choices are as polarizing as they are unique but if you like visual drama in your luxury SUV, the new X3 delivers. Underneath the fancy tech and sometimes form-over-function futuristic design is a sensible mid-sized luxury car. 

Other Options To Consider

Mercedes-Benz GLC

Reasons To Consider

• More powerful petrol engine

• Subtle and premium looking design

Reasons To Ignore

• You prefer more attention grabbing/less subtle designs

• Suspension is not as comfortable as the BMW X3’s

Audi Q5

Reasons To Consider

• More affordable

• Powerful petrol engine option

Reasons To Ignore

• Less rear seat space

• No diesel engine option