2020 BMW X3 M Review: The Bavarian Chameleon

It used to be a thing reserved for midsized SUVs, but recently high-performance injection has made its way into smaller models as well. You need only think of players like the Porsche Macan Turbo, Audi SQ5, Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S, and you see that these days there is a much wider range of choice for fans of high-performance utility models who don’ want to go big.

Now a new candidate has entered the race, and it doesn’t intend to stay put at the back of the pack. BMW has, finally, decided to inject a bit of true M performance into its X3 SUV for the 2020 model year, after the wizards at the M division weaved their magic on the the X5 M/X6 M duo. Actually, you can also count the X4 M as a more aerodynamic alternative to the X3 M. I recently drove the X3 M, and my experience felt closer to what you’d get in a M3 sedan than in any typical SUV. 

What is a BMW X3 M?
The German manufacturer isn’t reinventing the wheel here: the process of M-ifying the newest M SUV started with a more-dynamic engine under the hood. In this case, this is all the more dramatic a change given that this is a X3 M Competition version. The 3.0L turbocharged inline-6 engine thus develops a whopping 503 hp (compared to “only” 473 hp in the regular M model), while the optimal torque is the same (442 lb-ft), whether the version sports the Competition badge or not.

Specifications of the BMW X3 M 2020

Behind the engine (which should also find its way under the hood of the next M3/M4 tandem in a year or two) sits an 8-speed automatic transmission, a unit that allows manual gear changes via the lever or even the paddle shifters placed behind the special M steering wheel. 

Read more