BMW X3 xDrive 2.0d SE (From Daily Echo)

BMW X3 xDrive 2.0d SE

4:39pm Friday 7th January 2011 in Cars

WE HAVE BMW to blame for this SUV thing.

Although there are plenty of cars that fit the template dating back to the early 1980s, it wasn’t until the X5 appeared in 1999 that the idea of a an SUV-shaped machine that actually drove in a manner closer to a car than a London bus was brought to fruition. Wearing the desirable BMW roundel certainly helped, and all of sudden everyone wanted in on the act - manufacturers and buyers alike.

Then came the inevitable spin-offs, of which the original X3 was one.

But it didn’t quite hit the heights that the X5 did, and somehow the downsizing also lost some of its charm and grace. This is all ancient history now though, because there’s a second generation X3 which not only has to expunge the memories of the old car but also tackle the reams of competitors that have appeared in the intervening years.

Thankfully all appears to be well, right from the off. Walk up to the X3 and it instantly looks a more classy and cohesive piece of design.

It’s much closer in appearance to the X5 than before, and this is certainly a good thing.

Arguably it is better-looking because of the more compact exterior dimensions, but it draws together the classy premium feel with sufficient ruggedness to suggest it won’t baulk at traversing a muddy bank.

There are small increases in dimensions compared to the old car, but the negligible difference it makes visually translates to notable improvements in space on the inside.

It never felt short on space before, but the latest X3 is generously spacious both for passengers and luggage.

Up front you have the desirable high driving position, the second row of seats feels more akin to a bigger luxury car and the boot now houses an extra 50 litres of cargo.

Whether you have a family with assorted junk that comes with them or you just want the luxury of space, the X3 is happy to oblige.

BMW as a whole is hell-bent on reducing emissions and fuel consumption across its range of cars, and the X3 demonstrates the remarkable progress it has made.

Unusually the X3 comes with only one engine option at launch: the 2.0-litre diesel unit seen elsewhere in the range.

But looking at the figures it’s not hard to see why. Power and torque are up by 4 per cent and 7 per cent respectively, which help cut the 0-62mph time from a hardly-sluggish 8.9 seconds to a rapid 8.5 seconds.

Yet this performance boost also comes with a major cut to running costs too.