BMW X3 3.0sd CAR review

I'm stumped - what's new?

You're not the only one - apparently this is the revised BMW X3. Although if you can spot all the differences between the pre- and post-facelift cars you really should get out more or consider a job at BMW. According to just such people the front lights are new - incorporating different 'halo' bulbs behind a Perspex cover - along with body-coloured front and rear bumpers. The rear lights are tweaked too, with new LEDs replacing conventional bulbs. Along with new alloy wheel designs, it's a predictable mid-life tidy-up for the X3. Inside the materials have been upgraded (they needed to be) with higher-quality soft touch plastics and a three-spoke steering wheel. It feels far nicer, good job considering the X3's considerable price tag. More exciting are the changes made underneath, changes that make the new X3 truly startling.

Sounds exciting - go on…

The new X3 debuts BMW’s latest efforts to take over the diesel world. Beneath the X3’s snout is an all-new six-cylinder common-rail engine featuring BMW's new VTT (Variable Twin Turbo) system. It uses two turbochargers - one small device for low in the rev range and one much larger turbo for the top end. Combined they aim to negate turbo lag and offer more linear power delivery. The result is 286bhp and a thumping 428lb ft of torque. As with the old car 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre diesel engines are joined by 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0-litre petrol units all in mildly tweaked form.