THE LETTER ‘X’ CONNOTES mystery and intrigue.  It’s the reason why terms such as ‘x-ray’ and ‘X-Men’ exist.  ‘X’ is perhaps the least understood letter of the alphabet as well—commonly attached to terminology that indicates an unquantifiable quality that sets a thing apart: the ‘x-factor’.  In designing a new breed of vehicles for individuals with active lives, BMW did just this.  They’ve preserved everything that the brand stood for: sublime handling, impeccable engines and driver-oriented cabins while combining them with traits such as large luggage capacity, high-ground clearance and flexible interiors.  The Sport Activity Vehicle or SAV was born.

First launched was the X5, and it took the world by storm.  Judging by the way an SAV is, the use of the prefix ‘X’ was appropriate: it’s a vehicle that transcended bounds with a stand-out quality and appeal.  It’s the only high-ground clearance, all-wheel drive vehicle with room for 2 mountain bikes at the back that lapped the Nurburgring circuit in roughly 9 seconds—putting it the same company as BMW’s own M3.

With such a great reputation and following, one can imagine the pressure BMW engineers faced in designing the X5’s little brother, the X3.  Armed with a clean sheet of paper, engineers gave the X3 all the necessary SAV traits, which in turn, are lifted directly off the BMW sports sedan bible.  Imbued with a creamy smooth inline-6, either a 2.5-liter (192 bhp) or 3.0-liter (231 bhp), the X3 has frisky acceleration.  The engine, placed rear of the front axle (ala the Z4) gives the X3 excellent balance by distributing the weight around the center of the vehicle.

The suspension was trickier though.  With the necessities of occasional off-roading, the X3 was given additional traction via an all-wheel drive system.  Unlike a typical real-time system though, the X3 uses advanced electronics in place of mechanical clutches.  The result is a system that weighed less and transferred the power to the front or rear wheels quicker while eliminating problems such as understeer.

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