BMW India has announced the launch date for its X3 Crossover to be Aug 25, 2011. Through this car, the company plans to compete with rivals such as Audi Q5 and Mercedes Benz GLK Class. The production of the new car will take place at BMW’s facility near Chennai. Complete Knock Down (CKD) units will be used in the production process which will enable the car to be priced competitively at around Rs. 42,20,000.
Both petrol and diesel engines will be offered in the new car. The petrol variant will have a 2.5L xDrive25i engine which will deliver a peak power of 206 hp and a peak torque of 246 Nm. Powered by a 2.0L turbo xDrive20d engine, the diesel version of the new BMW X3 will boast of a maximum power of 176 hp and a maximum torque of 350Nm. Both diesel and petrol version of the BMW X3 Crossover will be capable of breaking the speed barrier of 100 km/hr in 10 seconds and reaching a top speed of 200km/hr.
The transmission of the new car has been upgraded from a six-speed gearbox to a new ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox which is expected to deliver higher fuel economy. The third generation xDrive all wheel drive mechanism has also been incorporated to provide better performance and handling. In addition to that, a fresh design has been provided to the interiors and ambience of the car. The exterior styling follows the styling of the BMW X5.
