The X3 is produced right here in South Africa and while we’ve sampled various derivatives of BMW’s recently revised executive SUV, there’s nothing quite like an extended test to really get to grips with a vehicle. To that end, David Taylor spent a few weeks with the 3.0-litre inline-6 turbopetrol-engined M40i.
We are usually afforded 7 to 14 days to review a vehicle, during which time members of our team take brief turns to assess a test unit (as well as film and photograph it); believe it or not, it’s easy to miss some of the car’s finer nuances/details. However, end-of-year breaks avail us with opportunities to drive vehicles on irregular routes and for greater distances – we’ve had some illuminating experiences!
For this test, BMW supplied us with an X3 M40i, which looked striking in its Brooklyn Grey finish – it complements the brand’s performance-orientated derivatives well and drew many positive responses from onlookers during our journey. Grey hues are still very much in vogue; Audi Sport favours Nardo Grey for some of its sportier models. The 21-inch bi-colour wheels really look the part too and add to the vehicle’s kerb presence. There’s no mistaking the M40i for anything else in the range, thanks to its subtle M badges on the grille, flanks and rear… and don’t forget those trademark big-bore exhaust ends!
The BMW M40i’s dark grille finish contrasted beautifully with its Brooklyn Grey paint finish.
Inside, the M40i offers a great blend of sportiness and luxury. Our unit featured the standard black sport seats, with blue contrast-stitching, a black M logo embedded in each of the front headrests, as well as M-branded seat belts. Meanwhile, the updated X3’s infotainment system offers expanded functionality – it now supports both wireless Android Auto compatibility and over-the-air software upgrades.
Does this derivative successfully bridge the gap between the (forgive us, BMW) run-of-the-mill X3 derivatives and the performance-focused X3 M Competition flagship? Can it justify its lofty list price? We travelled more than 1 900 km in the BMW X3 M40i on a mixture of road surfaces… and herewith our findings.
An overall consumption figure of 10.2 L/100 km. For the vast majority of our time with the X3 M40i, we drove it in Eco Pro mode.
Things We Like about BMW X3 M40i
That glorious engine and engaging driving experience
The M40i’s 3.0-litre inline-6 turbopetrol motor is a legendary powerplant and it’s easy to see why – the single-turbo motor’s 285 kW and 500 Nm translate into stunning performance. BMW claims the M40i can accelerate from 0-100 kph in 4.5 sec and a quick test of the launch-control function (in conjunction with a smartphone app) suggested the Bimmer can comfortably eclipse 100 kph in under 5 sec.
The BMW’s a rapid machine, yes, but the sheer flexibility of the powertrain is arguably the most impressive part of the package – the 8-speed automatic transmission is smartly calibrated with the engine’s power/torque delivery. As a result, there’s minimal lag and maximum aural satisfaction as the revs climb. Even when turbocharged, BMW’s inline-6 is one of the motoring world’s greatest sounding motors.
By selecting the Reduced engine sound setting, the exhaust note is not nearly as vociferous as it could be.
If the inline-6’s induction howl doesn’t grab you, the charismatic exhaust pops will, but during its first few days in our test fleet, the Bimmer sounded rather subdued, even when its Sport drive mode was engaged. How so? We trawled through the iDrive menus to see if a setting was dialling out all of that aural goodness. Indeed it was – once the Reduced setting had been unchecked and replaced with Depending on Driving Mode, normal service resumed. There was much relief – the M40i had been far too quiet for our liking; for a while, we suspected European noise regulations had muzzled the M40i.
As for the driving experience, the X3 is not purported to be a sportscar… it’s more of a spacious, practical luxury family car with a sporty bent. However, the M40i certainly has a wider range of talents than its lesser siblings, especially in terms of dynamism. It delivers quite astonishing in-gear acceleration and performs 80-120 kph overtaking manoeuvres with little effort – even in its most relaxed settings.
These sporty front seats look good and offer a good balance of comfort and support.
The X3 M40i features adaptive suspension, which means the damping can be firmed up for a more engaging drive, or softened, should the road surface deteriorate badly. Given our weekend sojourns on some gravel roads, we did think the overall setup was rather firm. But, if you spend the majority of your time driving on asphalt, you’ll enjoy how this family SUV mimics a sportscar when you’re in a hurry.
We did bear in mind that this is a sizeable family SUV – the laws of physics still apply, but we came away impressed with how well the M40i handled. The xDrive system works well and, should you decide to make the Bimmer take a few corners at a heady pace, there is no shortage of grip available. It’s not quite as involving as, say, an M340i, but there’s enough to keep the average enthusiast entertained.
The tech and connectivity
The slick-looking BMW Operating System 7 heralds new levels of connectivity for the X3.
The recent LCI update saw the introduction of a number of firsts in the X3. The M40i features a large (12.3-inch) new touchscreen infotainment system powered by the slick-looking BMW Operating System 7. Its interface has a refreshingly clean and easy-to-use layout, the functionality of which is enhanced by the rather smart voice-control system known as “Hey BMW”.
Meanwhile, wireless Android Auto has debuted in BMW’s executive SUV – it joins Apple CarPlay as a (virtual) must-have feature for the digitally-savvy generation. In the M40i, numerous USB ports are provided, as well as a wireless charging pad (at the front), but note that larger devices won’t necessarily fit in the latter. We also had a chance to test the MyBMW app during the BMW’s tenure in our fleet.
We used the app to remotely unlock the M40i, toggle its climate control settings and even locate the vehicle… For example, if you cannot find the BMW in a big parking lot, you can use the app to sound the hooter and flash the lights – it’s nice to have. Even now, with BMW Fleet services having collected the vehicle, we can see exactly where it is (we’re rather tempted to “sound the horn” from 50 km away).
The BMW Live Cockpit Professional (shown below), which is what the Bavarian marque calls its digital instrument panel, is an upmarket addition and replaces the partial analogue dial setup from the pre-facelift model. The layout of the instrument panel changes depending on which drive mode you’ve selected; the display scheme features gentle blue highlighting in Eco and purposeful red accents in Sport.
The infotainment system allows for over-the-air updates, which means you don’t have to manually update the car’s “firmware” by downloading a file from the internet and installing it via a portable storage device… at the very least, you won’t need to visit the dealer’s workshop to “get updated”. These range from software upgrades of various in-car systems to new content and even “Easter eggs”. We received 2 video clips from BMW via the infotainment screen – one wished us Happy Holidays and the other was a Happy New Year message. The updates don’t take long, but only happen when the car’s parked.
The infotainment system will alert you when over-the-air updates are available from BMW.
As befitting a vehicle at this end of the market, the M40i comes standard with Driving Assistant Professional, which incorporates, inter alia, active cruise control, lane-keeping assist and steering assist.
The systems work well, but we did find the lane-keeping assist a little too intrusive. On one occasion, when we were driving on a dual-carriageway and moved over to let a motorbike past, the car nudged itself back into the middle of the lane. If we weren’t expecting it, the correction could have been a little startling. Fortunately, you can dial back the intensity of the system while keeping vital safety features (like emergency auto brake) active. Given that a bumper bashing is the most common kind of accident, this tech will intervene if the vehicle in front of you suddenly stops and you don’t react in time.
You can adjust the intensity of the safety systems’ interventions, plus the car is always keen to throw tips your way to improve your user experience.
Value for money
“R1.5 million seems a lot for a family SUV.” Armchair critics will say you could buy a bigger BMW X5 30d for about the same price, but the M40i is not meant to appeal to conventional luxury-car buyers.
A quick glance at the M40i’s rivals, courtesy of the Cars.co.za Comparison tool, suggests the Bimmer goes up directly against the Audi SQ5 – which is comparatively cheaper, but also slower and not as liberally equipped – as well as the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43. The Benz, for its part, offers similar performance to its Bavarian rival, but is quite long in the tooth. If you’re performance-oriented, the Porsche argument comes into play, with the Macan GTS costing a touch more money, but packing 324 kW. Despite its power advantage, the GTS’ claimed performance figures are on-par with those of the X3.
The M40i is hardly keenly-priced, but its standard specification is not meagre.
So, what do you get for your R1 415 042 (as standard, January 2022) in terms of standard features? Contrary to the past practice of offering basic cars with extensive options lists, German premium brands are switching to “subscription models” that enable buyers to effectively activate some features on their cars and use them as long as they like – it’s a way for manufacturers to reduce complexity and save buyers from paying for features that they will hardly ever use… BMW claims its new X3 range sees “the complexity of the equipment lines and optional extras has deliberately been reduced by 30%”.
The X3 M40i trim comes liberally equipped with a delicious Harman Kardon audio system, wireless phone charging, USB ports for the rear passengers, heated seats, head-up display, panoramic roof, reclining rear seats, tyre pressure sensors, adaptive dampers, parking sensors, parking cameras and the previously mentioned safety tech. All that connectivity/app integration is also included.
So, what options are available for this derivative? A quick look at the online configurator suggests that you can spec the BMW Laserlights (R16 500), a heated steering wheel (R3 050), front and rear heated seats (R6 100), BMW Gesture Control (R4 000), Parking Assist Plus (R7 200) as well as red-calipered M Sport brakes (R6 600).
The X3 M40i was a consummate long-distance cruiser, but we wished the indicated consumption figure could be closer to the manufacturer’s claim.
Dislikes?
During its tenure in our test fleet, the X3 M40i performed impressively, but a few things warranted criticism. Apart from the previously mentioned firm ride quality, we noted a heavier-than-expected fuel consumption. Granted, if you’re shopping for a R1.5-million luxury car, the petrol price is unlikely to be a major factor, but we did sense that the Bimmer emptied its 65-litre tank faster than we thought it would. Interestingly, BMW claims an optimal range of 730 km, but we were lucky if we got around 550 km from a full tank. After 1 960 km, the trip computer indicated 10.2 L/100 km (claim: 8.9 L/100 km).
The BMW M40i produces more than enough performance to justify its sporty packaging and on-road presence.
Buying Advice
The great thing about the recently revised BMW X3 range is that there’s a powertrain to suit virtually every need. If you’re after the most extreme performance, BMW offers the X3 M Competition, which delivers sportscars-rivalling pace. If frugality and long-haul comfort are what you’re after, one of the turbodiesel derivatives should fit the bill nicely. Plus, if all-wheel-drive capability is not a must-have, the sDrive18d with its 2.0-litre turbodiesel motor (and a claimed optimal range of 1 308 km from a full tank) is a tempting proposition indeed; you could get one, with a few options added, for under R1 million.
