Pricing has risen a bit this time round, presumably to give the only slightly smaller BMW X1 SUV slightly more elbow room. The figures start at around £43,500 for the base xDrive20i and rise to just over £59,000 for the top variant in the mainstream range, the M40i model. The even faster X3 M Competition derivative costs a cool £85,000. As before, all variants come with xDrive 4WD and 8-speed auto transmission. If you want an electrified X3, the xDrive30e PHEV variant costs around £50,000; the all-electric iX3 costs from around £59,000.
In basic specification, this revised X3 has a significantly improved range of standard equipment now that includes enhanced sports seats, with upholstery featuring smarter 'Sensatec' man made leather on base models. The X3 'M Sport' models feature Vernasca leather upholstery as standard. Automatic air conditioning with three-zone control is standard across the range, allowing separate temperature settings for the driver and front passenger as well as separate climate control at the rear.
Whichever variant you select, it'll be easy to spend more than you budgeted or, thanks to a wider range of tempting options. Optional perforated leather climate seats will be popular, perhaps fitted out with active seat ventilation. Another option is a generously sized panoramic glass roof, while optional acoustic front side windows will complement the standard acoustic windscreen glazing to help create even lower noise levels in the cabin.
