BMW ups X3 starting price to $60,900

BMW Australia will launch a mid-life update of its X3 compact SUV in June this year, bringing more standard equipment and a revised diesel engine option is exchange for price increases of up to $1900.

With X3 sales down 22.3 per cent this year to 632 units, the BMW has ceded ground to arch-rivals the Audi Q5 (781) and top-selling Range Rover Evoque (798). It still remains BMW’s third most-popular model behind the 3 Series and X5.

The German company’s local arm will no doubt hope this freshening will give the car a boost.

“These additional styling upgrades complement the vehicle’s dynamic on- and off-road capability, and the increased value – up to $6,000 of extra standard equipment in some models – makes the X3 a more attractive proposition than ever before,” said BMW Group Australia general manager of marketing Toni Andreevski.

The price of entry is now $60,900 plus on-road costs for the carry-over 135kW/270Nm xDrive20i, a jump of $1900. The base diesel xDrive20d climbs $1300 to $64,400.

In return, both get additional standard equipment including Bi-xenon headlights, paddle-shifters, redesigned 18-inch alloy wheels and a new xLine styling package.

This is in addition to range-wide updates including a bolder kidney grille design, new twin circular headlight units, updated front and rear bumpers, new LED side indicator lights, new glossy black cabin inserts and new leather upholstery.

The xDrive20d also gets a re-worked all-aluminium 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine with an increased boost pressure of 2000 bar, pushing outputs to 140kW and 400Nm (up 5kW and 20Nm), cutting the zero to 100km/h time by 0.4 seconds to 8.1s and fuel consumption to 5.2 litres per 100km (down 0.4).

Further up the range, the 180kW/350Nm xDrive28i climbs from $73,000 to $73,400, and the range-topping 190kW/560Nm xDrive30d diesel climbs $900 to $77,400.

Both these versions get additional equipment including a ‘sports’ automatic transmission with paddles, a 360-degree surround-view camera, a 12-speaker sound system and new 19-inch alloy wheels.

However, one thing BMW Australia has not added is the European-market rear-wheel-drive sDrive18d, which remains "under consideration" only, according to BMW Australia general manager of communiations Lenore Fletcher.

Such as vehicle would make for an ideal price-leader, and follow in the wheel-tracks of the newly-launched X5 sDrive25d.

The X3 is the first car to be offered in Australia with BMW’s new ConnectedDrive system, which includes a permanent SIM card that can connect the driver and occupants with emergency services, and allow internet access, Apps and real-time traffic updates.

The X3 is also now available with the ‘BMW Service Inclusive’ package, which allows owners to buy their scheduled servicing, based on their needs, before they leave the showroom. Plans start at three years/60,000km.

The current, second-generation X3 went on sales in early 2011. The original polarising model premièred in 2004.

2014 BMW X3 pricing*

xDrive 20i (a)	$60,900
xDrive 20d (a)	$64,400
xDrive 28i (a)	$73,400
xDrive 30d (a)	$77,400

*Excludes on-road costs.