Jalopnik: x3

BMW Recalling 200,000 Vehicles Due To Airbag Non-Deployment Issues

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EDT

BMW announced today that it was recalling approximately 200,000 vehicles because a sensor issue might stop the front passenger airbag from deploying. The issue comes from small cracks that could develop within a seat detection mat, causing the airbag to be deactivated. Affected are MY 2006 3-series and MY 2004-2006 5-series cars and MY 2004-2006 X3 SUVs. Thankfully, no one has reported being hurt because of potential problem, and it doesn't seem to affect other airbags. We guess It's a good thing that BMW drivers are so unlikely to crash... [MSNBC]

Autobild Speculates On Upcoming BMW X3, X1

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:20:00 EDT

Autobild, our favorite German tabloid of a car rag, has gone on another speculation spree, and this time it's related to the new 2009 BMW X3 and first 2010 BMW X1. The pending refresh of the compact SUV will come just in time to duke it out with new offerings in the form of the Mercedes Benz GLK and Audi Q5. But what kind of new goodies can we expect for this duo? Well, for starters, the X3 will be growing slightly, up 8 cm in wheelbase and with a corresponding slight bump in width. But also expect to see the fruits of the GM/BMW/Chrysler hybrid program come to fruition.

Along with the dual e-motor transmission for hybrid action, the X3 also gets active steering, active roll stabilization, the electro-hydraulic brake system, and cruise control with brake-to-stop function; we'd assume that means some sort of Jag-ish radar-controlled braking feedback loop. All well and good, but since nobody actually buys an X3 for the driving dynamics, it's a good thing BMW will also be adding better materials to the cabin, an on-board hard drive, and a night-vision system (we'll believe that when we see it — at night).

But what about that X1? Das Bild speculates that the new sub-X3 will be seeing the light of day by the third quarter of 2009, and will be just what it seems: a smaller, lower crossover. At some point, they're just going to have to call them wagons. The X1 will sport a bevy of engines, ranging from a 1.4-liter four sourced from Peugeot up to a 3.5-liter V6 fire-breather from BMW, along with the now-inescapable automatic or hybrid transmission setup.

Guess this finally answers the age-old question: "If a soccer mom cries out for a tall station wagon, does BMW hear it?" [Autobild (translated) via Carscoop]

BMW X3 Powetrain Mule Probably Cooler Than BMW X3

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:20:00 EDT

What can be said about the BMW X3 that we haven't already been through? It's a compact SUV which would be better off as a four-by-four station wagon, just as AMC showed us. Funny thing though when you're developing a new X3 to come out sometime before 2011, you may need to wrap the test power train in something other than the final sheetmetal — like the modified body of an E91 3-series station wagon. Another funny thing about the situation is the resultant car looks freakin' great! With this mule we're really beginning to wonder if the X3 wouldn't be better off this way. What do you think? [Bimmerfile]

DIY BMW SUV Spotted Down On The Beijing Street

Mark Arnold — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:20:00 EDT

Think you'd already seen all the automotive ~~counterfeits~~ outside-design-influenced flatteries China has to offer during our Beijing Motor Show coverage? Well, think again. We've just found an SUV that's a perfect example of how to take a car that's merely a vague rip-off and turn it into a blatant copy. It's like design reverse-engineering — being reversed. Originally starting life as a Shuan Huang SCEO, this SUV's basic shape was already very BMW-like. All it needed was a twin-kidney grille transplant. Add the BMW round logos, and you're ready to head for the country club. Just don't get into a crash on the way there — or lick the paint. [via ChinaCarTimes]

2009 BMW X3

Ray Wert — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:15:00 EST

Here it is, the first prototype we've seen for the new 2009 BMW X3 on the streets (and above at the BMW test facility) of Munich. Even with all of the plastic and tape in the shots below you can tell how much sleeker the new X3's going to look in comparison to the current model. Which makes sense as the new X3 is reportedly based on stretched and widened 3-series platform. It even appears like some of the strange look of the BMW X6 is crossing over — especially from the A-pillar to the C-pillar. All of this is combining to give it a look the spy shooters at KGP are calling "more sportwagen." Full report from our spy shooter after the jump.

The first prototype for BMW's all-new X3 has broken cover, and we have snagged our first full set of photos on the streets of Munich. Despite the camouflage, the sleekness of the revamped X3's new shape is unmistakable. There appears to be some of the X6's smooth greenhouse flow from the A- to C-pillars, but without the sacrifice to rear headroom and cargo space. From this first look, it seems that a little more "sportwagen" has crept into the new X3's design brief.
The new X3 is reportedly based on the 3-series platform, but it has been stretched and widened to add some additional functionality to the shape.

2010 BMW X3, Now With Rendered Speculation!

Ray Wert — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:45:00 EDT

The kids at the "GM" site that actually stands for "Gadget Mag" and not "General Motors" have put together some renderings of what they think the 2010 BMW X3 will look like. Verdict: similar to the current one. However, they have put together some info on the engine range that bears mention, including the belief BMW will drop the 2.5i engine, and add the beefy 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged engine found under the hood of the 335i. Click through for the rest of the deets eGMCarTech's come up with. [via eGMCarTech]

Precision Is Expensive: Welcome To The BMW Experience

Ray Wert — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:31:00 EST

I've come to the conclusion that BMW spends more money on sending promotional materials to their customers than any other automaker. Let's use my mom as an example. Momma Wert just bought BMW's new mini-UV, the X3. Since she bought the new car four months ago, she's received a "welcome letter" and "an exclusive invitation" to an event for new BMW X3 owners as well as "BMW magazine," a monthly "lifestyle" magazine for bimmer owners. Gag. As the topper to these wonderful parting gifts, last week she received a beautifully packaged official "BMW Welcome Kit." This kit, which looks like to cost the equivalent of a monthly payment, congratulates my mother for becoming the "new and proud owner of an X3 3.0si" and according to BMW's US office is meant

"To help you gain a deeper understanding of your vehicle, the community that surrounds it and the free-thinking company that created it, we've developed this Welcome Kit. It contains a host of information about your BMW Ownership Experience..."

But wait, there's even more precision packaged into this here plastic-wrapped promo-pack. They've enclosed a "Passion for Performance" DVD giving a "closer look at The Ultimate Driving Machine" as well as — get this — books on CD, or what they're calling "a special thank-you gift designed to make your next road trip even more exciting." We'd like to tell you what we thought of the DVD and books-via-CD, but after I took pictures of the package my mother promptly threw the entire thing in the garbage, disustedly exclaiming "I think they should cut the price instead of sending me more crap." My mother's a wise woman. – Ray Wert

Be the SUV: Bruce Lee Shills for BMW in Spain, Unbeknownst to Him

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:01:55 EDT

None but the most rabid of TV geeks remember the early 1970s show "Longstreet." It was about a blind insurance investigator whose life coach was an antique dealer and martial arts instructor, played by the late Bruce Lee. "Be formless, like water" was one of the instructor's tenets, as was "don't get run over" (well, that should have been one). Lee once related his character's philosophies in an interview whose origin had been lost to the wind of analog media. But BMW found and resurrected the interview for a spot promoting its X3 SUV in Spain. Would Bruce Lee drive a BMW X3? Actually, We think he would have ripped the X3's fuel pump out and showed it to it before its warranty expired. – Mike Spinelli

[via Motorpasi n]

Related:
Love That B-Roll! Video of the 2007 BMW X3 [internal]

Wait? Are Luxo-Ute Drivers Speeders?

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:30:00 EDT

We've mostly decided we're tired of SUVs. We've owned one for three years, and the utility is fantastic, and worked wonderfully for us for a while. But now that we rarely drive (and if we do, it's often in a press or rental car), we're thinking about ditching ours for something that's well, more fun. Also, we're tired of SUV assholes, and if there's any relation between Americans and their British forefathers, well, check out the bit after the jump.

In a survey of the most common vehicles nicked for speeding, the X3, X5 and XC90 were all implicated in the top ten. What does this tell us? The article's author links it to the power of the vehicle. But c'mon, the Z4 and the 330i were also indicted. Obviously, the problem is assholes, not the cars. (Heartfelt apologies to Momma Wert, the Quandt family and Chris Bangle.)

Shocker: Speeding motorists drive fast cars [Intranetics Motoring News Service]

Related:
French to Bust Foreign Speeders, Impound Cars [Internal]

Love That B-Roll! Video of the 2007 BMW X3

Ray Wert — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 12:30:00 EDT

We promised you yesterday some more looks of the new-for-2007 BMW X3 SUV. Well, we've done one better. You see, here at Jalopnik, we don't just give you the pictures, we feel you the video. Here's some lovely B-roll of BMW's newest incarnation of the X3 to gawk at a bit this morning.

BMW Drops The New 2007 X3 On An Unsuspecting UK; US Version To Follow

Ray Wert — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 12:05:33 EDT

Ooh, those spy shots from this morning sure were prescient, weren't they? BMW is capitalizing on the PR two-fer today — spy shots in the AM, real shots in the late AM — and talking up the two-fer in changes to the new-for-2007 Beemer SUV. The big story's the engine on the 3.0sd. It's a twin-turbo 3.0-litre diesel with 286 hp in output — and as BMW says, it's "the most powerful diesel engine ever to power a production BMW in the UK." But BMW claims this isn't just a story about a new engine — but also a story about the SUV's "slightly tweaked" exterior. These "slight tweaks" include "rear...LED lights" and a "color-coded spoiler" and an interior featuring a "three-spoke steering wheel." What can we say — we're slightly underwhelmed. The UK edition is expected to drop in September and the US edition should be available in the near future shortly thereafter. Thanks to the boys at Dubspeed, we've got two more pics after the jump — we'll have the rest up shortly.

Spy Photos: 2007 BMW X3 to Be Revealed this Week?

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 08:10:00 EDT

Carscoop reports BMW will reveal a nipped-and-tucked version of its X3 small SUV sometime this week. As we noted earlier this year, the changes will focus on the current X3's cheap-looking (and feeling) interior components and materials (mmm, plasticky). Other changes are said to include redesigned bumpers and tailight assemblies, and a transfusion from a new, 2.5-liter mill and the latest, 266-hp 3.0-liter six. A 272-hp diesel will show up in Europe, where the new X3 will first appear later this year before a US intro soon after.

BMW X3 facelift coming up [Carscoop]

Related:
Spy Photos: 2007 BMW X3, Nip and Tuck [internal]

Spy Photos: 2007 BMW X3, Nip and Tuck

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 09:12:09 EST

BMW's X3 isn't going to change dramatically between now and its scheduled update for the 2007 model year, but the interior will look less like that of a Monogram model, at least according to German Car Fans. The facelift will address customers' complaints about interior quality, add some character in the fascia and rear, and insert the new gas engines offered in the latest 3-Series. The pressure on BMW's next-gen X to stay competitive will intensify, as it faces down a new Land Rover Freelander, and as-yet unconfirmed mini luxo-utes expected from Acura, Audi, Mercedes and (for backchannel rumor whores in the house, Porsche).

BMW X3 Facelift Undisguised [German Car Fans]

BMW Bringing X3 Hybrid Concept to Frankfurt, Uses New System of Super Capacitors

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:48:40 EDT

In addition to a new M Coupe, BMW will show a new, hybrid-drive X3 concept at the Frankfurt show. The hyboo prototype will be powered by BMW's (formerly) super-secret system of super capacitors we reported on two months ago. The system's specially designed capacitors, called Syncaps, are charged by regenerative braking, and power an electric motor in short, high-energy bursts to assist in standing-start acceleration only. We'd imagine a flagpole-shaped torque curve would likely be the most obvious benefit, along with fuel conservation from keeping the gas-engine idle during the period of its poorest fuel economy.