BMW’s new X3 will leave most drivers happy enough – but the ball was dropped with key feature

BMW shouldn’t screw this one up.

The X3 is its best-selling model worldwide — although we do love a 1 Series here in the UK — so a no-risk strategy makes sense with the new one.

It’s no kind of radical change. The styling is mod-ernised but it certainly isn’t as Marmite as some of BMW’s recent launches.

It’s only a bit wider than before — too many SUVs have got too fat for streets and parking spaces that are the same width they always were.

The engines are modified a bit but still very familiar, and there’s even a diesel for people who tow.

The X3 will actually live alongside a different all-electric crossover coming at the tail end of next year.

It was previewed as the Neue Klasse Vision X, but is likely to be badged iX3.

In the face of uncertainty about the full-electric switchover, BMW is hedging its bets.

Quick-witted

Anyway, back to the job in hand. What do we have here?

The base-engine X3 from £46k, only a few hundred quid more than the old car.

It is propelled by a 2-litre petrol, going through an automatic transmission, that drives all four wheels.

Inside, it’s properly family-size. Three teenagers in the back won’t be a problem, with everyone’s clobber in the boot. Or a big dog.

Most drivers will be happy enough. Like pretty well any BMW, it sits solid on the road. There’s something about the way they arrange the steering and suspension and even the way you sit.

The result is you spear effortlessly down your motorway lane, or carve a smooth line through any sort of corner.

The engine is quick-witted to the throttle, partly because of a hybrid motor (no plug, note). So far, so good.

Only thing is, it isn’t quite powerful enough for such a heavy car.

Yes, it feels perky at cruising speeds.

But if you’re wanting to make a sharpish move into the overtaking lane or wallop out of a roundabout, things get strained and noisy.

For the Bavarian Motor Works, that isn’t a good look.

Still, in all normal driving, it’s no issue.

Anyway, the driver gets other benefits.

The screen system is well laid out, and versatile in the way you can set up the layout to suit yourself.

Plenty of other goodies also come as standard.

But here comes another dropped ball.

Usually, BMW dashboards are made of solid, soft-faced plastic that feels expensive and everlasting.

But too much of this one is scratchy mouldings, highlighted by cheap glow-stick decorative lighting.

It’s no deal-breaker, at least on this base X3. But once you get to the £67k top-of the range six-cylinder M50 version it does feel like they cut one corner too many.

Around the world, last year’s X3 sold 1,000 times a day.

Surely best not take those buyers for granted, in any way.