[Air_Kerala]

The G45 is everything the Indian market wants, it’s bigger, it seats five, has the badge that signifies you have arrived and the tune of the engine plus the boost function has enough poke to smoke 99% of the two, three and four-wheelers who usually join you at the front row of a typical Indian signal. BMW have designed a product that will be lapped up by the vast majority who sadly do not care if the B47 engine in a different iteration would have kept it’s nose in the race with a proper mid engined naturally aspirated car from two generations ago. The maker delivers what the market demands. We enthusiasts will have to bid our time and wait for the six-cylinders or a meatier tune of engine to trickle in. Peace

[samik_jonak]

Recently test drove the 2025 X3 M50i for BMW's Ultimate Driving event. This generation of the X3 is better in handling and the suspension is much better. However, interior quality feels really poor for a car at this price. In comparison to this the X5 feels way better value now.

[n:CorE]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Disappointing car. I have an X3 from 2 generations back (F25 30d) and absolutely love it for its all round capabilities - Fun + Fast + comfortable. This latest model gives me no compelling reason to trade in my car for it. Except for the large touch screen and associated tech like Android Auto, there is nothing in it that represents advancement. The design, the garish interiors, low rent plastics esp on touch parts like the door handles inside and outside are all cringeworthy! One may forgive them for all of this if they at least gave us half decent engines!

My "Classic" X3

I'm writing as a fellow F25 30d (Stage 2+) owner and wholeheartedly agree with Santosh's perspective. The latest X3 seems like a diluted version of what made its predecessor so impressive. Just two generations ago, this model was the go-to SUV/SAV for enthusiasts, especially the xDrive30d, which even boasted adaptive dampers over a decade ago.

The N57 engine will definitely be remembered as one of the all time greats. Even though BMW conservatively rated it at 255 Bhp / 560 Nm, this inline-six motor could still achieve double-digit fuel economy in the city. My car still manages that, even while pushing 360 bhp / 760 Nm

This all-around excellence is what made the X3 special. Now, the engines feel underpowered for the price, and BMW seems to have just slapped M badges everywhere, added touchscreen controls for everything, and used excessive piano black trim. The quality of the door panel plastics, particularly around the window switches, seems shockingly poor.

The exterior styling is also overly busy. While it may look good from certain angles, it lacks the elegance and timelessness of previous models.

It feels like the days when all BMWs (even the non //Ms) were true to the Ultimate Driving Machine ethos are long gone.

A shot of my "Classic" X3 (Pre-LCI)

[Voyager-1]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

it’s not that bad as it’s made out to be.

I share the same sentiment because of these reasons:

A bold and edgy design, which would grow on me. This is like a rebel kid in the BMW X family with a distinctive face. It's time we moved away from the convention that all cars of the same family looking alike, except for minor differences.

To me, it solves some of the important functional issues - A wireless Carplay/Android Auto that can be truly used without worrying about phone's battery discharging. The key feature that is making the difference is the cooling function for the wireless charging. In almost every car today, the issue is that wireless Carplay/Android Auto uses a lot of battery and the wireless charger stops charging because the phone heats up, so we end up using a cable. Not anymore with this X3!

The heads-up display and the instrument cluster can show the Google Maps navigation (not just the in-built navigation).

Front seats ventilation and the "hugging" (side bolstering adjustment) feature for the driver seat.

Adaptive LED, with cornering function - much needed for Indian roads.

Tubeless tires instead of run-flats, and a spare wheel. Much better ride quality and peace of mind.

Better rear seats.

Adaptive suspension.

These are small things, but make a big difference. They "complete the ring" for me.