Review – BMW X3 M Competition (2022)
BMW X3 M
To our knowledge, the X3 M had been around for a while, but the M model has only been on the market since 2020. The extra spirited coupe variant – the X4 M – also saw the light of day at that time. BMW has now taken the X3 under the knife. Not just the regular X3, but also the M version. The recipe has remained basically the same in the updated versions. Under the hood still lies the most powerful three-liter BMW has ever made: the exquisite S58 engine. For the real nerds: the S58B30T0.
Six-in-line
This is not a V8 but a six-in-line, equipped with two turbochargers. The block is good for 480 hp and 600 Nm. Adequate, they would say at BMW subsidiary Rolls-Royce. Yet you can go a step further. To do so, you need to check the M Competition Pack on the option list. Power then increases by 30 hp and 50 Newton meters to 510 hp and 650 Nm.
Competition Pack
Other nice things you get with the Competition packare the giant, forged 21-inch M wheels. The large amount of rubber around them not only provides more grip, but the wheels are two kilograms lighter each than regular wheels. Furthermore, the Competition version has many high-gloss black design elements and a lot of M and Competition badges. Specific LED taillights with a dark housing and M Sport seats with electrically adjustable headrests and an illuminated M logo are also part of the standard equipment of the M Competition Pack. For all these nice touches and the extra power, BMW charges 8,643 euros.
What does a BMW X3 M cost?
We don’t have official figures, but we’re guessing that most X3 M buyers opt for the M Competition package. Why not, when you spend 136,657 euros on a car anyway. After all, that’s the minimum BMW requires of you if you want to drive an X3 M out of the showroom. For the X4 M, you’ll have to plunk down a minimum of 138,386 euros.
Performance
It’s quite an amount of money, but in return you get a big SUV and a very fast one. In 4 seconds around, the X3 M shoots from standstill to 100 km/h. With Competition Pack, the 0-100 sprint goes in 3.8 seconds. Awfully fast, for an SUV. Well, actually for any car. But when you’re shooting off nearly 2,100 kilograms, it still feels a tad absurd. Fun, that too. Fucking fun.
Top speed BMW X3 M Competition
The top speed is limited to 250 km/h. If you want to go even harder, you have to tick something again on the option list: the M Driver’s Pack. For 2,616 euros the Germans switch off the limiter and you can pedal on to 285 km/h. Shifting is always via an eight-speed M Steptronic automatic, which is extremely alert and always knows how to find the right gear.
Humbug
The block obviously meets the strictest environmental standards and that means a lot of filters in the exhaust system that limit emissions, but also often the sound experience. Another reason to purchase the Competition Pack: the M sport exhaust that then runs underneath the X3 M. The sound that accompanies the triggering of the 510-hp powerplant then does not disappoint at all.
Press the start button and you immediately hear that you are not in a normal X3. The growl is deep and mean, and downshifting and engine braking are accompanied by big bangs from the exhaust. There is a valve system in the exhaust that dampens the sound as desired. A feature that is necessary if you don’t want to provoke neighborly arguments every morning.
Nice steering
But does that go around corners a bit, a tall, heavy SUV? Yes, quite fine actually. Many automakers – such as BMW – are now experts at building performance SUVs. Steering as sharp and tight as an M3 or M4 is almost impossible with an SUV, but the X3 M’s handling and ride is damn near the same. The result is that your own limit is often the limiting factor behind the wheel. It doesn’t feel natural to go around a corner hard in an SUV. Your brain says it’s not possible. So, thanks to special dampers, torque vectoring, all-wheel drive, active roll stabilizers, an active M-sperdifferential, and a whole lot of math from the on-board computer, it can be done.
xDrive
The power goes to all four wheels via the xDrive system. The rear wheels receive the most forces, as they should in a BMW. The M Active differential can additionally distribute the power between the right and left sides, allowing you to corner even harder. Reinforcements to the chassis, adaptive shock absorbers and large stabilizer bars counteract leaning in the corners.
Interior BMW X3 M
In the updated X3 M, you now get a fully digital instrument cluster as well as a 12.3-inch infotainment screen as standard. An excellent audio system from Harman Kardon also comes standard. There are also new interior finish options and the buttons on the center console now match those you get in the M3 and M4.
Other things that are new in the interior are the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, to which you can now kindly ask if the temperature of air conditioning can be a little higher or lower. You can also ask the personal assistant to open or close the windows.
Fine workplace
The interior of the X3 M continues to be a fine, luxurious workplace filled with fine materials and a high level of finish. Of course, the very sporty X3 is not the most comfortable BMW you can get, but put the X3 M in Comfort mode and you can spend hours in it. The excellent range of space in the front, ample luggage space (550 – 1,600 liters) and high entry make the X3 M the ideal M3 replacement for people who want to step out of a sports car rested. Boarding a regular X3 is possible from 68,191 euros.
