BMW India, today has announced the launch of its 2018 X3 SUV at a price tag of Rs 49.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the xDrive 20d Expedition and Rs 56.70 lakh (ex-showroom) for the xDrive 20d Luxury line. The SUV is being manufactured/assembled at the company’s manufacturing plant in Chennai.
Earlier showcased at this year’s Auto Expo along with the BMW i8 Roadster. The X3 is inspired by the BMW 5-series range and powered by the next-gen 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder diesel engine, which is capable of producing 190 bhp of maximum power with peak torque of 400 Nm. The machine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission along with the four-wheel drive assistant.
Other than this, the company will be soon introducing the more powerful xDrive 30d variant for the Indian market. The 3.0 litre, 6-cylinder diesel engine will chunk the power of 265 bhp with the torque of 620 Nm.
Based on the BMW’s new CLAR (Cluster Architecture), the brand is able to shed 55 kg of weight and increase its wheelbase along with the cabin space. With the new design language, the SUV features a more aggressive look with new larger kidney grilles at the front with the redesigned DRL headlamp, bigger 18-inch alloy wheels, the new bumper gets the dedicated fog lamps and a new pair of edging LED tail light.
Inside the cabin, the X3 comes with a new 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with gesture control. It gets an option of the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, heads-up display and the digital key. Further, the SUV comes with the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard features.
As far as competition is concerned, the 2018 BMW X3 is launched against the Mercedes-Benz GLC, Audi Q5, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Volvo XC60.