Dr. Andreas Schaaf, the President of BMW India, will unveil the most awaited BMW X3 on 25th August 2011 in Pune. He will also address the media at the launch event. The new generation of the X3 was introduced in the Paris Motor Show late last year. Presently, BMW X3 will be introduced only with diesel engines and the petrol variants are expected to come later on. The two variants might be the xDrive 20d with a 2.0 Litre turbo diesel engine rendering 184hp/380Nm and xDrive 30d with 3.0 Litre engine having 258hp/560Nm.
German premium car maker, BMW, anticipates SUV to take on the likes of the Audi Q5 and the awaited Mercedes Benz GLK in India. Keeping in mind the rising fuel prices in India, the engine will be assembled in BMW's Chennai facility and in this way enable BMW India to meet the 10% CKD duty requirements. This will surely allow the automaker to price the new BMW X3 reasonably in the competitive Indian Market. Hence, one can speculate that both the diesel and petrol versions of the new X3 will be in the price range of Rs. 41.2-42.2 lacs. The new BMW X3 is expected to have permanent four-wheel drive technology and start-stop or Micro Hybrid Technology for better fuel efficiency and lower emission.
The petrol variants, xDrive25i, will have 2.5 litre 6 pot engines, rendering around 210 Bhp NS 246 Nm of torque, with the top speed of 210 kmph. It can accelerate up to 0-100 run within 10 seconds. Moreover, the diesel engine variant, xDrive 20d, will have 2.0 Litre, 4 pot turbo engine, rendering 180 Bhp of peak power and 350 Nm of peak torque. Regarded as the economical and meticulous star, this diesel variant will be the crucial volume driver for the new BMW X3. It has also the efficacy to accelerate up to 0-100 run within 10 seconds, with a top speed of approximately 200 kmph.
The new BMW X3 will be equipped with a dynamic drive control, keyless entry, electronic parking brake and panoramic sunroof, along with many other modern features to give it an appealing look. Moreover, the top-end models are armed with more recent features like head up display, parking cameras, adaptive headlights with range control and many more features are added to make it first of its kind. Like X1 and X5, BMW X3 will have longer, taller and wider body structure and will be a tough competitor to Volvo XC60, Land Rover Freelander, Audi Q5 and other rivals. The interior of the car has got a total new look. The car inherits not only visual appeal but has got awesome handling that ensures comfortable and safe drive.
Like Volkswagen India, which was the first automaker to herald the trend of introducing the all diesel option, the 2011 BMW X3 crossover might set a new trend in Indian auto market. Surely, this will bring about a paradigm shift in the automobile sector, as diesel cars are overriding the demand of petrol variants.
![BMW X3 [2018-2022]](https://imgd-ct.aeplcdn.com/160x89/cw/ec/32888/BMW-X3-Exterior-125761.jpg?wm=0&q=80 "BMW X3 [2018-2022]")
