The X Factor

And its a bit of an acquired taste. You may take some time to appreciate the appeal of the pitched forward belt-line and that very upright bonnet. Once you do,you cant help but marvel at the new X3.

The new X3s footprint is actually almost the same as the original X5 BMWs iconic first SUV and that,of course,means this car is both longer and wider than the outgoing X3. X in BMW terminology stands for four-wheel drive,and this car uses an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch to distribute torque between front and rear axles.

Time to hit the road and see just how good the X3 is to drive. Im not expecting too much on the autobahn from the BMW. But generous torque from the motor,and the presence of the eight-speed gearbox improve things considerably. Even out on the autobahn,with much faster cars to deal with,the X3 punches well above its weight. There is considerable grunt in the mid-range,the gearbox is quick to downshift,and this allows it to keep up with traffic quite easily. And by traffic,I mean cars travelling between 140 and 160kph.

Stability at speeds is impressive too. The X3 tracks faithfully and there is no hint of nervousness that you find in some SUVs at high speeds. This BMW feels glued to the road even as you exceed 180kph. A light but firm touch is all you need on the wheel,there is no sloppiness in the way the X3 changes lanes. The X3 is also well-insulated and feels quite refined. There is very little tyre roar,the car rides silently over expansion joints and its fair to say that BMW has achieved near-saloon car levels of refinement. In fact,so silent is the rest of the car,you sometimes hear wind swishing over the mirror and the A pillar,just as in a Mercedes E-class.

Driving along smaller country roads is a different challenge. I switch from the sport setting to normal mode to soften the dampers,and the effect is immediate. Despite having large 18-inch wheels,the X3 simply glides over many of the rough patches and holding onto a particular line is no problem either. The X3 also feels easy to navigate through the centre of small towns. The light,electric steering and compact dimensions of the car make it easy to thread through narrow cobblestone streets and parking with the electronic driver aids is quite easy too.

On smoother stretches of road that twist and turn,I switch the dynamic drive back to sport. The dampers firm up nicely and body control is much tighter,allowing me to enjoy the road a bit more. And the steering feels weightier too. Unfortunately,this feels a bit artificial and odd,and I miss the light but very precise feel of the system in normal. On these smaller roads,the X3 also feels substantially quicker than out on the autobahn. Performance on these roads is more than adequate and using the strong mid-range delivers a decent kick. You do need to place the gearbox into S if you want to drive in a spirited manner,though.

Whats vastly improved,however,are the interiors. The previous X3 didnt have a large cabin,but this one feels big and airy on the inside. The width of the cabin is impressive,the wide dashboard makes this feel like a full-sized SUV. The design of the soft-feel dash is attractive with curves and swoops. A metallic strip has been used on the bottom of the central console and this and other metallic insets help lift the mood of the cabin.

Those of you familiar with BMWs will be able to identify many aspects of this car. The instrument panel is nearly identical to that of a 5-series,the air-conditioner,audio system controls and the seats are like the 3-series. BMW has used sumptuous double-stitched leather to cloak the insides,door pads included,and you get the full iDrive too. Also rear legroom is surprisingly good.

BMWs block-like old X3 never really hit the spot. It felt a bit cramped,the ride was bumpy and few people liked the design. This one,however,does feel like a slightly scaled-down version of BMWs bigger X5 and should be substantially more affordable. In short,it is worth waiting for.

The writer is deputy editor,Autocar India