From familiar, reliable gasoline to cutting-edge plug-in hybrid EV tech, the BMW X3 offers you the power to choose what you want to drive and to change more than just your own experience of driving joy

SINGAPORE

Who we are is dictated by what we do, and today that extends to far more than just what’s cheapest or most easily available. 

From what we eat, to the clothes we wear, even the services we pay for – it’s increasingly important that we consider the bigger picture – sustainability, responsibility – in addition to other important considerations – cost, availability.

Cars are the premier consumer good, and it’s no surprise that powerful choices have come to automobiles too. However, not all cars are made equal, and it may not surprise you to find out that BMW is the brand that offers the widest range of choices. 

Take the BMW X3 for example. The X3 is available with a choice of powertrains that will meet customers’ requirements, whether they are city dwellers, or drivers who cover long distance journeys.

Plug into the future

The BMW X3 xDrive30e is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that is suitable for those who live in the city, and want a practical and efficient sport utility vehicle that offers zero emissions motoring, but also with the flexibility of having a petrol engine as boost when required.

The X3 xDrive30e offers 51-55km of pure electric motoring, at speeds of up to 135km/h. Given the average Singaporean driver covers 47km a day*, that means most of us could accomplish our daily commutes without using a single drop of fuel.

And once you’re done, simply plug it into a BMW i Wallbox to recharge the batteries, and in just three and a half hours, you’re ready to go again.

For the occasions where you need a bit more, the X3 xDrive30e’s 2.0-litre petrol engine is available on tap and ready to go whenever you need it, taking over seamlessly at your request. Together with the hybrid powertrain, the X3 xDrive30e produces a total of 292hp and 420Nm of torque, ensuring that you’ll never be short of performance.

And the important thing is you get to decide your driving experience, with three selectable driving modes. The standard Auto eDrive setting optimises the switch between electric driving and utilising the internal combustion engine to find the perfect balance.

MAX eDrive meanwhile allows for emissions-free motoring by restricting the drive purely to the electric drivetrain. Finally, Battery Control lets the driver set the desired charge level of the battery, reserving the power for when it’s required later in the journey.

…or continue with what you know best

BMW also understands that there are customers who may need to travel over farther distances, and may not have ready access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure. For these customers, a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) car may be more suitable to their requirements.

BMW believes in the flexibility of choice, and the ability to pick a car to suit your needs. In this respect, BMW offers the X3 with ICE drivetrains as well, with the X3 sDrive20i and xDrive30i models.

It’s the same practical X3 package, powered by 2.0-litre petrol engines with either 184hp and 290Nm of torque in the sDrive20i, or 252hp and 350Nm of torque in the xDrive30i, allowing customers a selection of performance levels that meet their requirements and desire.

And opting for the traditional engine choice does not mean leaving your conscience behind either. Like all modern BMWs, the X3 has efficiency built into every aspect: it uses intelligent lightweight design and engineering choices, it has an outstandingly low aerodynamic drag coefficient of only 0.29, while the efficient eight-speed automatic Steptronic transmission, start-stop system, and Eco Pro mode help make every drop of fuel count.

Like it does everywhere else in the world, BMW is one of the only brands to offer you a significant and fundamental choice when it comes to the system that keeps your wheels in motion.

In this age, it’s probably one of the most powerful choices you can make.

*From Land Transport Authority figures 2018

Coming your way: the all-electric BMW iX3

The next entry into the X3 lineup is a new battery electric vehicle (BEV), the BMW iX3. It has just begun rolling off the factory production lines and will be making its way into showrooms around the world before the end of 2020. A high capacity 74kWh battery powers a completely electric drivetrain that delivers 210kW/286hp, and with a maximum possible range of 440km.

This all-electric SUV is set to take missions-free motoring to new heights, and it’s been designed to fit straight into the current X3 lineup from the beginning. It is being assembled on the same production lines as the X3 with regular internal combustion engines, and will give drivers even greater choice when it becomes available.

(The all-electric ranges of the BMW X3 xDrive30e and BMW iX3 are measured based on the new WLTP test cycle and adapted to NEDC for comparison purposes, dependent on the tyre format selected.)