BMW X3 M40i - Express SUV

This is the third generation of the BMW X3 and the first to receive the M badge in the title. The Bavarian manufacturer is thus joining the group of mid-range sport utility vehicles with the Audi SQ5 and Mercedes GLC43 AMG at the forefront. The question is, is there something equally interesting under the predatory undergrowth? 

If you're having a problem with a leaky faucet and you're not very tech savvy, you'll almost never hesitate to search the internet for a plumber. Normal business, I would do the same myself. The first number is on the brink, and after a while a gentleman appears with a toolbox, perhaps balding or with a protruding belly. Of course, one could also expect Piotr Adamski (a model known from posters as a “Polish plumber”), but appearance is not the main thing here.

A real professional does not have to search at all. He just shows up, does what he needs to do, and you're done. Just look at the first class of midsize SUVs: Jaguar F-Pace, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Mercedes GLC Coupe, Porsche Macan or BMW X3. Each of them looks like it can easily navigate a regular gravel road, and it really does, but in fact they are much better suited to their classic and less fashionable counterparts.

Athlete on stilts

I understood this perfectly after the first few kilometers in the BMW X3 M40i. Yes, there is quite a bit of ground clearance here, because it is 20 centimeters, but you immediately feel that driving away from the asphalt is just a side effect of the increased suspension and drive to both axles. Best of all, the Bavarian mid-range SUV feels where you can use the potential hidden under the hood. The 3-liter power plant, equipped with two booster engines in the form of turbochargers, has a power of 360 hp. and a torque of 500 Nm. Such a kit "catapults" more than 1800 kg of sheet metal to 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds. Top speed? It is traditionally limited by the "electric blow" to 250 km / h.

But most of all I was struck by the sound of the engine. Finally, the 6-cylinder engine not only speaks pleasantly, but above all "with a claw". More importantly, it is the BMW that can be heard. And from afar! The new exhaust system is something that the Bavarian brand has been missing for a long time. Of course, BMW is known to love curves. It's the same with the X3, for which every turn on the road is a pleasure comparable to a dent in the seat when accelerating. Of course, because the X3 M40i is really fast, there was also a fairly effective braking system. This is so effective that simply by driving into a tree, the car will stop faster. The gearbox is pure perfection. It picks up gears perfectly, does not delay shifting, and the sequential mode (which you are unlikely to use anyway) instantly responds to pressing the paddles.

You won't forget what you're driving

The fact that the X3 can go fast is by no means new. I got the impression that only in the third generation of the BMW model treated the car as a full-fledged "X". Just look at the outside. The size of the “kidneys”, or rather “notches”, are not inferior to those of the X7 concept. Moreover, the excellent grill is already included in the design of other (also traditional) models from Munich. But this is not the end. The X3 has already forgotten the modesty of its predecessor. Here it is much easier to find sharp edges on the hood and sideline of the car, giving muscularity. There is also a place for a “fake” in the form of a dummy air intake behind the front wheels.

The M40i was further equipped with aggressive-looking bumpers, two rectangular black-painted exhaust tips, and a few M badges - I counted eleven: two each on the fenders, brake calipers and sills, on the trunk lid, under the hood, and inside three: on the steering wheel, clock and center console. And since we're already inside, the invitation to take a seat is sent by a very well-shaped chair. It's something you can expect from just about every X3 equipped with an M package. It's a little different here, because in the test unit you sit in a comfortable seat with little to no lateral support. In fact, this is the only anomaly that I have encountered. Everything else is as it should be.

The latest cry of technological fashion

The steering wheel is thick, meaty and fits well in the hands, but certainly not as pretty as its predecessor. Ascetic in form, with perfectly integrated radio and cruise control buttons. On the other hand, the hands of the electronic clock finally stopped jumping when moving quickly along the scale. In addition, the indicators themselves are simply beautiful and very easy to read. As far as Head-Up is concerned, so far I have argued that BMW offers the best of its kind on the market. The messages are suitably large, clear and very detailed. Currently, the HUD has become even bigger and better. In my humble opinion, this is a real must-have.

The same can be said about the new iDrive. True, the tiled view of the main menu strongly resembles competing solutions, but working with the most necessary functions is still extremely simple and intuitive. Real compliments for working with multimedia using gestures. The response to commands is immediate and works regardless of the displayed menu. Everything else inside is a well-groomed classic. The radio and air conditioning panels are still available at hand, and in the buttons of the first one you can store not only your favorite radio stations, but also, for example, satellite navigation addresses and contacts. The eight-speed shifter is still a joystick, while the iDrive features a touchpad and buttons to move between different positions.

All in all, the BMW X3 M40i is a well-known classic in an updated form. The car does not shock with its design either outside or inside. I would definitely call it an adaptation to current trends, as seen in the watches, the new iDrive system and, for example, the hexagonal LED daytime running lights and the new large grille initiated by the X7 concept model. . Anyone who's owned a BMW before will feel right at home here, except it's obscenely fast, equipped with efficient all-wheel drive and 360bhp. and newton meters.

costs

What to do to become its owner? First of all, you need to prepare a lot of money. Minimum PLN 315, but if you are interested in the configuration presented (with the exception of comfortable seats and wheels - the latter are accessories), you will have to choose, among other things, from the list of accessories. heating of all seats, steering wheel, seat air conditioning, Head-Up Display, various driving assistants, Harman Kardon audio system and adaptive suspension. You have to pay less zlotys for everything...