BMW X3 30d xDrive 2017 first drive

The new X3 carries a distinctly more athletic demeanour too, the gentle rake of its roofline, the slightly flat-topped wheel housings, the longer wheelbase and a more horizontal, waist-level bone-line that no longer begins with a Concorde-esque droop all conspiring to make its predecessor appear slightly ungainly. Not that the outgoing model felt like that on the move, and this new X3 still less so.

It was BMW that built the first SUV that didn’t feel slightly precarious in a bend, the 1999 X5’s confident poise and keener steering making it easier to forget your distance from the road below. Over 18 years and 5.4 million X models it has progressively improved on that, this latest X3 sufficiently at home with direction changing that you can chuck it about like a large hatchback.

The X3 30d is noticeably less incisive than the impressive new M40i, but it’s very able and doesn’t push its sporting capabilities to the fore, as befits this more mainstream version. Instead, you become aware of its strengths more gradually, rising miles uncovering confident balance, modest body roll, calmly responsive steering and a pleasingly supple ride. Off-road, where the X3 has deeper abilities than many similarly scaled crossovers, it has adaptive four-wheel drive, hill descent control and robustness in its armoury. The test car was fitted with BMW’s variable damper control, incidentally, which should be considered essential unless you’re numb to the niceties of ride and handling.

More widely appreciated will be the X3’s impressive refinement, the commotion of motion additionally suppressed by an acoustic windscreen and the improved aerodynamics. The BMW’s 3.0 litre diesel six is a civilised device too, its high compression combusting rarely betraying its diet. It also provides plenty of solid zest across a broad rev range, making any journey pretty effortless. In fact, below 1500rpm this six is surprisingly sleepy, the fast-swelling strength of its torque suddenly undammed at 1500rpm. That would be annoying if this were a manual, but with a well-managed eight speed auto harnessing the engine’s efforts, you must actively hunt out this shortfall to find it.

Despite what appears to be a reasonable level of standard equipment across the SE, xLine and Sport trims, X3’s option list will almost certainly have you experiencing a budget shortfall when you uncover the desirable things on it. Traffic enabled sat nav, a reversing camera, certain online services and LED headlights are standard, but extra-cost options include BMW’s excellent head-up display, the aforementioned variable dampers, various parking aids, a panoramic roof, reconfigurable digital instruments and a loadbay rail system. The loadbay itself is a reasonable 550 litres seats-up, and 1600 litres with the 40:20:40 backrest automatically flung flat by its release catches.

The car beneath all this increasingly common technology is a good one. It carries its SUV height and mass with aplomb, it provides fine-mannered dynamics that a keen driver will find reasonably enjoyable (the keen will favour the rapid and fleet-footed M40i, however) and its interior is that well crafted that it’s a pleasure to sit in and touch. There’s plenty of scope for configuring it to suit your favoured materials and palette, too.

This X3 also bears the hallmarks of the car’s advance towards autonomy, if without breaking any new ground. More useful for many will be its heightened connectivity potential. Some will probably prefer to spend on that, and various other options, rather than choosing the 30d over the less potent but still brisk 20d. The 30d’s extra cylinders and extra thrust add refinement and go for no more than a small impact on economy. Indulgent diesels, however, could be becoming a thing of the past.