Test drive BMW X3 E83 since 2007 SUV

BMW X3. Seven hours of continuous drive

17 hours (and as much back) the time spent on the flight from Moscow to Atlanta, where the BMW organized the test of the new generation of the X3 crossover. For the very acquaintance with the newcomer, nothing seven hours were released. Seven hours get to the bottom of the point, feel the depth and volume of work done by hundreds of engineers. Drive seven hours through all regimes, understand habits and character. Ride on roads with different quality. Seven! Mda-a-a-a-ah and you also need to have time


The appearance has become more emotionally and dynamically bloated by wheel arches, the developed relief of the sidewalls of large nostrils, a head optics with a new -fangled diode daylight, the rear lights directly hint at the kinship with the eldest X5 and X6

States. Now BMW is dragging automobile publications from all over the world. Why states? It’s easier to production and cars at the side. The X3 plant was transferred from Europe (the first generation was produced together with Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria) to American Spartanburg (South Carolina) this year. So now all Baemwash crossovers (except X1) come from the USA. And this is a logical main consumer of X (about 60%) America. About 20% falls on Germany, the remainder for all other markets.

The new X3 swayed larger than its predecessor. He received an increased clearance of 12 mm (now 212 mm), the wheeled base stretched over a good 15 mm. The length increased by 83 mm (up to 4652 mm), width by 28 mm (up to 1881 mm), height by 13 mm (up to 1687 mm). A little more and the X5 of the previous generation will turn out.

At the legs of the rear passengers of free space now more than 20 mm. The luggage compartment increased by 70 liters in comparison with the previous generation, and its volume is now 550 liters. For comparison: Mercedes GLK is 100 liters less, although it rather competes with X1. But the main thing is a thoroughly processed power structure. The stiffness and strength have grown, but the mass, on the contrary, has decreased. So, for example, diesel X3 in the initial configuration of 25 kilograms is easier than a similar predecessor. A lot, given geometric metamorphoses!


The high light when the vehicle appears at the rate can be automatically disconnected. Headlights also know how to look into turns

X3 XDRive20D receives 17-inch, and XDRive35i 18-inch alloy wheels. Wheels with 20 disks are available to order

Despite the increased dimensions, the motto X3 is still a drive. Drive in everything. Hunting and excitement with which Cross fulfills all your wishes are simply amazing. With what simplicity and frankness X3 makes the plan. You wonder about everything and all everywhere. The steering: efforts are perfectly verified, the information is sterile. All the little things are joints, pebbles will change! Wow-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Track. How deep it is, I would understand by alternating efforts on the steering wheel even with my eyes closed. The steering wheel almost breaks from hands, but it is conquered to you, not the road. He is understandable. But the steering here is designed again. Instead of hydraulic, there is an electromechanical amplifier! And not a hint of artificiality. What can this pleasure be compared with? Yes, with nothing. BMW is still a car for drive and driver.

The driver's seat is equipped with a large set of adjustments. How drivers of any complexion are sitting in an armchair. The adjustment range of the steering column is very wide.

A thick bagel lies perfectly in the palm of your hand. All governing bodies, as they say, are at hand. Materials of the decoration of traditionally high quality. Optionally available a system for projecting data on windshield. An interesting feature of the preset multimedia system has a capacitive sensor. As soon as you touch the keys, an icrive immediately appears on the IDRive screen that displays these keys and their functions. In the central box, a holder and a connector for the iPhone can be installed.

There are six pillows in the list of safe equipment, active front head restraints that protect against whipping injury when hitting behind, belt pyrocratmers for all riders
All three engines (two gasoline and diesel), which are equipped with the X-Trushka, will be available in Russia. To begin with, I took the top version of the Xdrive35i, equipped with a row three -liter gasoline six. A double impeller turbine, direct injection, unavailable adjustment of the gas distribution phase and release and the Valvetronic system that changes the course of inlet valves (allowed to abandon the throttle), and they work miracles. Despite the compliance with modern toxicity standards, the 306-horsepower engine responds to gas with lightning speed. Razor! Not otherwise. 400 Newton meters in the range of 1200-5000 rpm with such indicators not every modern diesel with a similar working volume can boast. And sound-o-u-uk! You’ll sway. By the way, the sound accompaniment X3 is its integral part. BMW must make noise! Although the noise in BMW is not a noise at all. This is information. Information about the quality of the road surface, about speed, about the operating mode of the power unit of information exactly as much as necessary. No, not the noise at all sensoric, contributing to unity with the car.

The engine in tandem with the latest eight -speed ZF automaton understands you at a glance. Spreaded the revolutions are inflated, and the box in a moment descends in three gears down. Acceleration of an avalanche. For nothing that up to a hundred 1.8-ton 35i shoots in 5.7 seconds. As an option, the possibility of manual transmission control using steering wheel petals is proposed. Although they will rarely have to use them, because even in automatic mode the switching algorithm is close to the ideal. But what if the drive gets tired? Adaptive electronics will understand your desire to go calmly and put the power unit into a comfortable mode, the transmission will switch smoother, and engine speeds will be close to minimal.

The back became more spacious, but not much. An increase in length of 20 mm. 190-centimeter basketball players themselves sit down with a tangible margin. The width of the place is enough for three average passengers. The two on the back sofa will not be very comfortable in the back of the extreme places poorly shaped, there is almost no side support. The services of the rear riders are separate deflectors and heating the seats. Please note that through deflectors it is allowed to regulate not only the air supply intensity, but also the temperature (the front central deflectors can also boast of this).

The rear row in the database is divided in a ratio of 60:40. The optional sofa consists of three segments that make up the proportion of 40:20:40.

The cargo compartment for the window sill with the upsed rear seats boasts 550 liters. The maximum luggage volume with a folded rear row is 1600 liters

For a mechatron chassis, which is available as an option, three operating modes are provided: Normal, Sport and Sport+. By the way, these pre -installations among the X models debuted precisely on three! In Normal, customized shock absorbers are dissolved (although electronics still regulates the characteristics of damping automatically depending on the quality of the road and speed), X3 is comfortable, like a business class sedan, and allows you to blame the broken primers without looking at. Moys? Seeds! Take it cooler. The springboard is a real test. I will give a shit, I accelerate and jump at my own peril and risk. And what? NOTHING. You will identify the jump only by the knock of the end, when the wheels break off the ground and the suspension chooses the move, resting on the limiter, the landing is painless and even comfortable. The exercise repeated several times in a row as if you were racing on Ford Bronco. Punch the suspension still needs to manage.


The system of assistance from the mountain works both when moving forward and back. The optimal descent speed supports ABS (sets up for effective braking on slippery/loose coating), selectively branding the necessary wheels and carefully filling the car on the selected trajectory. The system will come in handy both on the slope that has been declined after the rain and on the icy descent

In the peremptory asphalt SPORT+ shock absorbers, on the contrary, are most clamped, the steering wheel is poured with the maximum weight of the feedback force, and the power unit works exclusively in the sports mode of the engine in tone. For high -speed slalom, it is. But here you need to be more careful, with activation of the Sport+ mode, the contrast system is turned off automatically the type of coward does not play hockey. Sport is so sport, he called the Gruzem nothing to ride with electronic insurance. Do you want adrenaline? It is for you! It is for you!

The intermediate mode of Sport is somewhat more loyal, while it is possible to separately adjust the nature of the transmission and chassis. In the SPORT, the threshold for the operation of the system of dynamic stabilization compared to the Normal mode is slightly pushed away, the electronics allows you to safely slip in controlled drifts. I was mistaken, I went too far, the contrasting system itself will put the car on the trajectory.

X3 skillfully opens the rolls in corners and provokes dashing. The crossover willingly follow the wheel and under the gas always retains rear -wheel drive habits. Of course! This is BMW. The default thrust is always served on the rear wheels, the moment is transmitted to the front of the moment with the help of a multi -disc friction coupling. The degree of its lock depends on the mode of movement.


The last X3 of the first generation (in the body of E83) came off the assembly line on September 1 of this year. Since 2003, the company has produced more than 600 thousand X-third

Fig AB-X system, imitating differential blocking. She begins to work when passing a turn to the limit. How does it work? As soon as the car stands on the arc, the inner in relation to the turning of the rear wheel slows down by the brake mechanism at the command of electronics. The car on the inhibitory wheel seemed to stumble, while the outer wheel through the inter -wheel differential naturally receives a greater traction force. Regarding the vertical axis of rotation, there is an unfolding moment that pushes the car on the intended arc.

And what about XDRive20D? This is a two-liter diesel 184-horsepower turbocharger. 380 Newton meters in the range of 1750-2750 revolutions. Six -speed Getrag mechanics. The average fuel consumption is 5.6 l/100 km (according to the passport). The essence of the all -wheel drive workhorse! Inexpensive. Naked German pragmatism and calculation. To ride. To save. Initially, nothing superfluous. Although the mechatron chassis and a bunch of new -fangled options for XDRive20D can also be ordered. This, by the way, with completely good dynamics, 1715-kilogram 20D to 100 km/h gets in 8.5 seconds.

With technologies that improve comfort and safety, in the new X3 everything is in order. In the center of events, a processed multimedia IDRive interface. A bunch of assistants works in his shell. Take, for example, a system of assistance in parking: working in conjunction with the chambers of the rear and peripheral review, ultrasonic sonars allow you to visualize the surrounding space on the central screen in several versions. Moreover, it is possible to display the planned trajectory of the car. The most interesting of all visualization modes Top View, which is a stitching of images of the surrounding space obtained from three chambers installed on the side and back of the car. Even the child can park with filigree accuracy.

idrive is taught to work with multimedia peripheral devices using a Bluetooth interface. And for the iPhone, even a special connector and a holder in central boxing are provided. But these are all the flowers. Idrive is able to go on the network and work with Google services. At the same time, the new X3 can serve as an access point, Connection with computers and communicators on Wi-Fi. In the list of additional equipment, adaptive light, rain sensor, navigation with a rigid disk, which, if desired, you can roll up a multimedia content, a two -zone climate, a system for projecting data on a windshield, self -clever internal and external mirrors, an electric drive of the fifth door and much more

Russian dealers will have a new X3 from November 20, but orders are already accepted. A version with a two -liter diesel engine (184 hp) and a mechanical six -speed gearbox can be purchased for 1,795,000 rubles, which is 138,900 rubles. more expensive than the basic Audi Q5 2.0 TDI and 115,000 rubles. More expensive than the younger Mercedes GLK 220 CDI, which, unlike competitors, already has an automatic machine in the basic version. Version X3 XDRive28I (unfortunately, it was not possible to travel on it) with an atmospheric 258-horsepower six is \u200b\u200bavailable only with an automatic 8-speed box. Prices for this version begin with a mark of 1,870,000 rubles. The cost of the flagship 306-horsepower X3 xDrive35i starts from 2,130,000 rubles.



BMW genre classic dashboard. Readable. Strictly. Without frills.

Efficentdynamics is a set of systems and measures focused on increasing efficiency. This, for example, includes:
The energy recovery regime (the generator is turned on only when the engine speed is reduced or it works in established mode). The recovery indicator is located under a tachometer;
Auto Start Stop, also part of Efficentdynamics. Auto Start Stop can be installed on cars with both automatic and mechanical transmission, the system in traffic jams and on traffic lights muffles the engine;
indicator of transmigration points for a diesel version with a mechanical gearbox;
Electromechanical steering amplifier (enters into force strictly by necessity, unlike the power of the hydraulic power steering that is constantly selecting)



Vitaly Kabyshev
Photo: Vitaly Kabyshev and BMW



Competitors

Land Rover Freelander
In 2009, 3356 cars were sold.
The price is from 1 174,000 to 2,001,000 rubles.
The most affordable (and, and, it should be noted, the best in terms of cross-country!) The competitor to the new X3 Land Rover Frelander for 1 million 174 thousand rubles, equipped with a 150-horsepower turbodiesel with a volume of 2.2 liters and a mechanical gearbox. A more popular and more powerful gasoline freemlander (such a machine has a 233-horsepower engine 3.2 and automatic) will cost noticeably more than 2 million 1 thousand rubles, but has a rich set of equipment: seven airbags, a stabilization system, two-zone climate control, CD-changer On 8 discs, a leather salon, bixenon headlights ... If a 150-horsepower diesel seems weak, and a 233-horsepower gasoline unit is too powerful, you can choose a 190-horsepower turbodiesel at a price of 1 million 545 thousand rubles. By the way, the crossover of British blood recently survived restyling, but dealers continue to sell pre -reform machines, the price tags of which are much more affordable.
Warranty of three years or 100,000 km of run.
The manufacturer of the UK

Volvo XC60
In 2009, 614 cars were sold.
The price is from 1 559 900 to 2,257,900 rubles.
The most affordable cars (from 1 million 559 thousand 900 rubles) are equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo engine, a pair of which is a 6-speed automatic. Such crossovers are equipped quite well, but they can offer neither xenon headlights, nor electric drives of seats, having only a mandatory set of airbags, a good audio system without a chainer and some other pleasures like a combined interior decoration. More powerful versions, where 243-horsepower 3.2 (1 million 899 thousand 900 rubles) and 304-horsepower 3.0 T6 (1 million 999 thousand 900 rubles) are set by a similar set of equipment. We especially note that the Swedish crossover, in addition to the mentioned gasoline units, is also sold with a 205-horsepower 2.4 D5 diesel engine (from 1 million 699 thousand 900 rubles).
Warranty two years or 100,000 km of run.
The country-producing Sweden

Audi Q5
In 2009, 4477 cars were sold.
The price is from 1 656 100 to 2 259 500 rubles.
The Audi Q5 is more expensive than Volvo, but is better equipped: the basic version with a 2.0 TDI turbodiesel (170 hp), bixenon headlights and parking sensors (KH60 should be paid extra) 1 million 656 thousand 100 rubles. For those who love more powerful, the German crossover is ready to offer gasoline engines 2.0 TFSI (211 hp, from 1 million 770 thousand 800 rubles) and 3.2 FSI (270 hp, from 2 million 89 thousand 900 rubles), and also a 3.0-liter turbodiesel (240 hp, from 2 million 259 thousand 500 rubles). Features of Audi equipment are as follows: if Land Rover and Volvo offer several configurations that can be supplemented with the necessary set of options, the Japanese from Lexus and Infiniti set only fixed configurations, then the Germans for Q5 announced the same basic equipment for all motors, and the rest of the future owner Crossover should choose in the form of packages of additional equipment or individual options. Like Freelander, Q5 has a constant four -wheel drive.
Warranty for two years without mileage restriction.
The country-producing Germany

Mercedes-Benz GLK
In 2009, 1481 cars were sold.
The price is from 1,680,000 to 2,390,000 rubles.
For 1 million 680 thousand rubles, you can purchase a crossover equipped with a 2.2-liter 170-horsepower turbodiesel, such a machine will be equipped in Mercedesus generously: there is a good multimedia system that supports the Bluetooth protocol, and all kinds of electric drives and parctronics. It should be noted that more expensive and more powerful modifications have a similar set of basic equipment, which, you see, is logical and pleasant: the buyer sees how much he overpays for the engine power, without bothering on the differences in equipment. For the diesel 224-horsepower GLK 350 CDI, compared with the basic modification, you will have to overpay 710 thousand (price from 2 million 390 thousand rubles), for gasoline GLK 300 and GLK 350 smaller: 250 thousand (from 1 million 930 thousand) and 350 thousand (from 2 million 30 thousand rubles), respectively. At one time, our editor Denis Smolyanov tested the Mercedes crossover and was satisfied.
Warranty for two years without mileage restriction.
The country-producing Germany.

Infiniti ex
In 2009, 1142 cars were sold.
The price is from 1 898 500 to 2 183 500 rubles.
Infinity will not have to suffer with the choice of engine and select the confinity: dealers offer a single power unit (3.7-liter 330-horsepower) and a couple of standard equipment options (which cannot even be supplemented with options to their liking). However, such a policy can be understood: the basic crossover for 1 million 898 thousand 500 rubles (such a price acts for the duration of a special action) is literally stuffed with all kinds of equipment, including a leather interior, xenon headlights, a rear view camera and an excellent multimedia arsenal that offers 8 speakers , Chainer and subwoofer. The crossover worth 2 million 183 thousand 500 rubles is equipped even richer, and most importantly, it has a navigation system.
Warranty of three years or 100,000 km of run.
The country-producing Japan

Lexus RX
In 2009, 2983 cars were sold.
The price is from 1,850,000 to 3,167,000 rubles.
The price tags for the average size crossover from Lexus are somewhat discouraged: the 277-horsepower RX 350 is offered at least 2 million 455 thousand rubles, and the Hybrid RX 450H and which is more expensive from 2 million 826 thousand. However, in early autumn, sales of the modification of RX 270 began! A less powerful engine (188 hp) and front -wheel drive allowed to reduce the price of to 1 million 850 thousand rubles, retaining a rich, truly Lexus, set of equipment: in the basic version there is probably, perhaps, only the leather decoration of the cabin, the rear view and navigation chambers. Our fastest editor Vadim Gagarin tested the hybrid Lexus RX 450h, and his opinion about this machine can be read here.
Warranty of three years or 100,000 km of run.
The country-producing Japan


Competitors Alexei Kovanov

 

Source: Auto.mail.ru