Even before I decided to pull the trigger on the BMW M340i and bring it home, I had a healthy respect for BMWs. From its iconic presence in movies and video games to my own experience with the brand, I have loved what the brand represents. All that said, it is no surprise that I never miss a chance to drive one. I recently got to experience the BMW X3 30 xDrive M Sport Pro. The name’s a mouthful and the car, a handful… in the best way possible. 

First, a little background. When the latest generation of X3s arrived, they were praised a lot, but people had one little issue with them. They were not thrilled about the idea of sub-200 bhp numbers for a car that costs as much. So what does a brand that prides itself on providing Sheer Driving Pleasure do? They fix it. That fix is what we call the BMW X3 30 xDrive M Sport Pro. 

The highlight is a new engine that arms this new X3 with around 70 bhp more power and 90 Nm more torque. We will get to that, but before that, let us see what else has happened here. So with the new M Sport Pro package, the X3 30 xDrive gets a sportier touch. M-badges, red M-Sport brake callipers, 20” diamond-cut alloy wheels (they look stunning), and bigger tyres: the front now is a 255/45 R20 and the rear 285/40 R20. The headlamps and taillamps are smoked, and there’s a gloss surround for the illuminated grille. 

There are some changes on the inside as well. The curved display is the highlight, which consists of a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch infotainment display. The change here is that the instrument panel is now wrapped in Sensatec, a leatherette material that looks more premium than the stuff on offer on the X3 20 variants. That was another complaint people had, and it has been taken care of. The seats, too, are now wrapped in Vegan Leather that they call Veganza. Another cool part of the interior, in addition to the tons of configurable ambient lighting, is the panoramic sunroof. 

Everything else is as per BMW standards, so you get a ton of features that I will just list out so that I can talk about the engine and what it brings to the table on the road. In terms of safety, you get 8 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, Adaptive cruise control, Lane keep assist, and Auto emergency braking. Then, in terms of features, you get Adaptive LED headlights, powered front seats with ventilation, a head-up display, AR navigation, Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Wireless phone charger, 3-zone climate control, Rear window sunshades, 750W 15-Speaker Harmon-Kardon sound system, Auto parking, 360-degree camera, and adaptive suspension.

Onto driving then. The new X3 30 xDrive is a hoot. The 2L 4-cylinder turbo petrol B48 now makes 258 bhp of power and 400 Nm of torque. Moreover, this potent engine is further augmented by a 48V mild hybrid sort of system that not only gives it more grunt when you need it, but also enables something interesting called ‘Boost’. I love that kind of stuff. 

Now, since performance was a pain point for a lot of people, I went for Sport mode straight away and gunned it. I tried launch control too and learned why BMW states that this car will do 0-100 in 6.3s. I reckon that is a conservative estimate, and it might even go a couple of tenths quicker. The acceleration is grin-inducing, and while the sound is somewhat augmented, the rate at which the scenery blurs is more than enough to inspire faith in the fact that this is a fast car. 

Another factor that helps acceleration is the xDrive system. Since the power is sent to all four wheels, the acceleration is phenomenal. Moreover, the grip on offer is also astounding for a car of this size. The ZF 8-Speed auto does a phenomenal job, and when you really want to push things to the limit, the paddles on the steering allow you to hold the revs till the redline. And you would want to do that because the engine remains smooth nearly all through the rev range. 

Now, the boost thing. If you prod the left paddle for a bit, the mild hybrid system gives you a 10-second boost in power, which was something I had a lot of fun with. In terms of handling, the tyres offer this X3 even more grip, and there is something to be said about that because the other X3s didn’t exactly lack grip. So you can really push this car in the corners, and it simply sticks. In Sport mode, the steering also feels weighty and direct. 

But because of the larger wheels, the ride quality does take a little hit. But most of that is sorted once you choose to be in comfort mode. That is the sort of magic that adaptive suspension allows manufacturers to create. You can, in effect, have two cars. One that would glide over most of the things for a plush ride, and one that would stiffen up to the extent that you can really go heavy-footed in the corners. 

The asking price for the new X3 30 M Sport Pro is INR 74.5 lacs (Ex-Showroom). It may seem like a lofty price to most, but then again, it is more fitting for the X3 30. I guess with this particular car, people who can afford it have nothing to complain about after paying over 70 lacs. Me… I am more than happy with my M340i.