BMW’s X3 SUV gets its first update since its debute as a 2004 model. It receives a makeover for the 2007 year which includes minor cosmetic changes, added muscle, new features, assorted refinements and a new official name: X3 3.0si. Less expensive and overall more nimble than its larger stablemate, the X5, the X3 is based on the acclaimed 3 Series line of compact sport sedans, just as the larger X5 SUV is based on the midsize 5 Series sedan. Unlike the X5, which is built in the U.S., the X3 comes to our shores from Graz, Austria.
The most significant change for 2007, at least from a driving standpoint, lies under the hood, where the X3 gets an updated 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine, which it shares with the 3 Series. It uses the latest technology, like variable valve timing, to deliver 260 hp 35 hp stronger than the engine in last year’s model.
A new six-speed automatic transmission replaces the previous five-speed as a no-cost option. A six-speed manual transmission remains standard and is a nod to BMW’s focus on sporty driving dynamics few if any other compact SUVs offer a six-speed manual transmission. BMW says the X3 fitted with the manual gearbox can hit 60 mph in 6.9 seconds. This is 0.7 seconds quicker than the 2006 model and only 0.8 ticks slower than the 330i sedan.
In addition, the X3 receives advanced braking-system functions that BMW is incorporating on all of its vehicles, including Brake Standby (which reacts when the driver suddenly lifts his or her foot off the accelerator, expecting that hard braking is about to occur, and automatically snugs the pads firmly up against the rotors) and Brake Drying (this periodically brings the pads up to the rotors to keep the points of contact dry).
The X3’s interior is more functional than fancy, which is what we’ve come to expect from BMW. Front, front side and side-curtain airbags are standard, with rear side airbags optional. Other options include heated leather seats, a heated steering wheel and front and rear-parking proximity warnings. Unlike many SUVs and minivans and a growing number of passenger cars, the X3 does not offer an optional rear DVD entertainment system.
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