New BMW X3 revealed: should you cancel your Mercedes GLC?
June 19, 2024 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
This is the all-new BMW X3 and it’s bigger, more practical, more powerful and better-equipped than ever before.
- New BMW X3 revealed
- All-new SUV gets fresh design
- Interior completely overhauled
- New plug-in hybrid engine
- M50 model gets 400hp straight-six
- On sale now from £46,800
BMW has whipped the covers off the new X3, and this Mercedes GLC alternative has been completely redesigned both inside and out.
It’s also sporting some new engines, including a diesel option and 400hp straight-six M50 model.
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New BMW X3 design
The new BMW X3 has been completely redesigned compared to its predecessor, with some styling cues taken from other BMW SUVs.
Those swoopy new headlights look a bit like the ones you’ll find on the BMW X1, for example. The X3’s grille has also been redesigned, and it has a slightly strange pattern with horizontal and diagonal lines intersecting each other.
The side profile is very X1-esque as well, albeit a slightly bloated version of that car. It has quite an upright rear end and to make this new X3 look more aggressive it’s actually 25mm lower than the car it replaces. Alloy wheel sizes start at 18-inches, although there are 19-, 20-, and 21-inch options available.
You have slimmer LED taillights than before, although they have adopted a similar shape to the outgoing car’s. The back end does look smoother and less fussy than before though, with fewer creases and no fake exhausts in sight.
New BMW X3 interior and infotainment
The old BMW X3’s cabin was starting to show its age, but this new one has a much more modern-looking interior. It could even give the Mercedes GLC a run for its money in terms of design.
The cabin is dominated by a bank of screens, as is the case for most BMWs these days, and the dashboard itself has a sweeping design with some cool-looking fabric over it. There’s plenty of ambient lighting as well, and you can have fully vegan-friendly coverings if that takes your fancy.
The massive central infotainment screen is running BMW’s latest iDrive operating system, meaning it’s packed with clever features such as improved voice commands, music and video streaming services and even games. You can play Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while you’re parked up if you fancy fantasising about spending your winnings on other BMWs.
New BMW X3 engines
There are three engine options on offer in the new BMW X3 – plus a hot performance version which we’ll get onto in a bit.
The entry-level car gets a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 208hp, or you can have a 2.0-litre diesel with 197hp. Company car buyers will want to look at the plug-in hybrid though because of its low emissions.
That car pairs the 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to make a combined 299hp, and it’ll do up to 56 miles on electric power alone. That’s decent, but a Mercedes GLC plug-in hybrid will do up to 80 miles on a charge.
New BMW X3 M50
So what about this performance version? Well if you’re after a family SUV with a sporty twist, the BMW X3 M50 uses a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine with almost 400hp. That makes it the most powerful petrol six-cylinder fitted to an M-light model.
It’s still not as powerful as the 2.0-litre engine you get in the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43, that car has 421hp. Despite the power deficit, it’ll still do 0-60mph 0.2 of a second quicker than the AMG, completing the sprint in 4.6 seconds.
To make this car feel more agile than the standard model you get a special differential at the rear, as well as a quicker steering rack for more darty handling. You can also get adaptive dampers as an option to reduce body lean and make things more comfortable for daily driving.
To make sure you stand out from the crowd in the M50 it gets a handful of styling upgrades. You get special 20-inch alloy wheels, a more aggressive-looking bodykit and quad tailpipes. It also gets an illuminated grille as standard, something which is an optional extra on lesser models.
New BMW X3 price and release date
The new BMW X3 is available to order now, with first deliveries starting in the autumn.
Prices for this posh SUV start from £46,800 for the base-level petrol model, rising to £56,340 if you want the plug-in hybrid. That actually makes it a couple of thousand pounds cheaper than the outgoing car, and it’s over £6,000 less than the Mercedes GLC.
If you want the spicy M50 version then you’ll have to part with £64,990, over £7,500 less expensive than the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43.
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