The BMW X3 got a facelift in 2014 with updated styling and BMW’s new 2.0 litre diesel engine. If you read our review, you will remember us mentioning that the Bavarian car manufacturer was planning to bring in the 3.0 litre diesel variant as well. Sure enough the BMW X3 30d was launched in mid 2015, that too in the M Sport trim. Since we have reviewed the standard car, we thought it might be a good idea to drive this one as well. The six cylinder motor was reason enough to tempt us to do so. This review will focus only on the highlights of the BMW X3 M Sport. So lets see what’s different shall we?
The BMW X3 is already a good looking SUV after it got a makeover. The M Sport package adds more spunk and muscle to the overall character of this automobile. We like the X5 inspired headlamps and the wide kidney grille which merges with the headlamps. While the grille slats are finished in matt silver, we would have preferred an all black look. There is a new aggressive front bumper with larger air dams on either side with integrated fog lamps. There are prominent M badges on the front fenders. The window frames and other trim strips are finished in gloss black. The rear bumper gets a black diffuser insert and twin exhaust pipes on one side. The roof rails are also finished in black. It comes with 18 inch star spoke style light alloy wheels but we liked the design of the ones we saw on the X Line version we reviewed earlier. The Melbourne Red colour which our test car came with adds a sporty touch and was quite a head turner.
The cabin gets some updates as well. The dashboard layout is similar to the standard X3. It gets wooden panels, Anthracite along with chrome bits. You get a three spoke M steering wheel with M lettering on the bottom. The steering is grippy and feels nice to hold. It comes with manual adjust for rake and reach. Electric steering adjust for a car at this price point would have been better. There is a larger 10.2 inch screen for the iDrive infotainment system. There are sports seats at the front, which are very comfortable and hold you in place perfectly. They get electric adjust and memory function. Travel range is good too. There is good amount of legroom at the rear. The rear seats do lack in under thigh support though, even for short occupants. Other features include front and rear parking sensors with reverse camera, dual zone climate control, a 600 W Harman Kardon Surround Sound system with 16 speakers, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, navigation with 3D maps and a panoramic sunroof. There is 550 litres of boot space that can go up to 1600 litres with the rear seats folded.
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