BMW launches X3 M performance car at ₹99.90 lakh. All you need to know

BMW on Monday launched X3 M, its first-ever M car in its high-performance model line-up in the mid-size Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) segment, in India at ₹99.90 lakh (ex showroom). With a clear and determined focus on offering a performance drive experience, the BMW X3 M is available at dealerships in the country as a completely built-up unit (CBU).

What primarily gives the BMW X3 M its drive capabilities is a newly-developed six-cylinder in-line engine which provides it with 473 bhp of max power from its 3.0-litre displacement and peak torque of 600 Nm. This allows the vehicle to jump from stationary to 100 kmph in just 4.2 seconds with the top speed set at 250 kmph.

BMW X3 M appears to attach as much emphasis to style as it does to performance.

The engine tags team with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic & uses the new M xDrive all-wheel-drive system. BMW states that the M xDrive system has a rear-wheel bias & offers four driving modes. The sophisticated chassis technology package rounds off with M-specific steering (including M Servotronic and variable ratio) and powerful M compound brakes.

Special attention has been given to safety on the first-ever BMW X3 M which gets front, side & head airbags, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) including M Dynamic Mode, Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Dynamic Brake Control, Dry Braking function, Cruise Control with braking function along with Collision & Pedestrian Warning with City Braking function. BMW Head-Up Display, Adaptive LED headlights, BMW Live Cockpit Professional, High Beam Assistant and Parking Assistant are also on offer.

Inside the car, a mammoth 12.3-inch multifunction display touchscreen is the main highlight while it also makes use of BMW's Gesture Control, gets multifunction steering wheel’s buttons, hi-fi speaker system and BMW Virtual Assistant, among others.

Adjustable sports seats with memory, Vernasca leather upholstery, ambient lighting, an M-specific instrument cluster and a panoramic sunroof add to the luxury quotient of the car which comes with a 40 20:40 split-folding rear backrest, enabling luggage capacity to be increased to a maximum of 1,600 litres.

BMW X3 M seeks to combine luxury with sporting dynamics.

The styling of the X3 M is typically BMW. And then some more. It sports a BMW kidney grille with black double bars which is integrated into the Air Breathers on the front flanks. A special M design seeks to bring down aerodynamic drag and the vehicle sits on imposing 20-inch alloys. Its long wheelbase, short overhangs, slightly hexagonal wheel arches all add up to give it a more dominant appeal.

Made available in Donington Grey, Toronto Red, Phytonic Blue, Sophisto Grey, Black Sapphire and Alpine White hues, X3 M seeks to stand out in the BMW India garage with the company confident of the vehicle finding its intended mark here. "The introduction of a high-performance mid-size SAV will further strengthen our presence in the segment & entice new driving experiences," said Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India, in a press statement issued by the company. "Uniqueness of the first-ever BMW X3 M lies in a newly developed powerful engine & sophisticated chassis technology. This vehicle, to the very last detail, offers a unique combination of luxury and sporting dynamics, providing an exciting, safe & novel driving experience to our customers."