Test drive | The new BMW X3 long wheelbase version: can climb a 49-degree slope and understands your "secret glances"
- 27 August, 2024
When Chinese people's desire to buy cars is no longer limited to "speed and passion", BMW allows "pure driving pleasure" and "innovative genes" to collide and bring a long-wheelbase version of the new BMW X3.
On February 14, the all-new BMW X3 long-wheelbase version was launched with 35 luxury configurations as standard across the range, with an official guide price range of RMB 349,900 to RMB 449,900.
In early spring of March, this new car came to the secret realm of the Xishuangbanna rainforest to complete all-road tests. With its precision in cutting corners on mountain roads, ease in speeding on highways, and strength in off-road crossing, it confirmed the promise of "wheelbase is lengthened, but driving pleasure remains unchanged" and demonstrated the exclusive intelligent driving pleasure created for Chinese consumers.

This is the first time that the BMW X3, which has sold 3.5 million units worldwide, has achieved a longer wheelbase. After the wheelbase was increased by 111 mm, the legroom in the rear row exceeded 1 meter and the knee room increased nearly 2 times. In addition to "driving a BMW", the rear seat of the new car has also become a popular space for everyone.
Not only is the space larger, but the seats themselves have also been upgraded, with a seamless connection between them and the soft padding of the rear door panels to form a "comfort angle" to ensure that passengers have a comfortable experience in any sitting position. At the same time, the length and padding of the rear seat cushions have increased by 65 mm and 10 mm respectively compared to the previous generation. The seat back and seat back angle have been increased to 104 degrees, which is more in line with ergonomic requirements.
As a brand with the DNA of "ultimate driving machine" engraved in its genes, BMW's R&D engineers have done their best to tune the front and rear shock absorbers to be more comfortable while ensuring that the handling of the new BMW X3 long-wheelbase version is the same as that of the standard-wheelbase model, accepting the difficult challenge of "significantly improving comfort without compromising driving pleasure".

How is it done? The combination of front double ball joints and rear multi-link independent suspension, adjusted by R&D engineers, gives the new car the same cornering control limit and flexibility as the standard wheelbase model. What is more challenging is that the new BMW X3 long wheelbase version also achieves a balance close to the average distribution of load on all four wheels, and can respond instantly whether it is steering, accelerating or braking. Just step on the accelerator and it will fly out, so fast that you will sweat on your forehead, but the power is still endless.
Data shows that the new car is equipped with the latest BMW 2.0T engine with a maximum net power of 190 kilowatts and a peak torque of 400 Nm, up 14%. With an 8-speed manual transmission, the new car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.6 seconds, and the fuel consumption of low-power models is reduced by 5%.

Not only is it fast, the new BMW X3 long wheelbase version also has powerful off-road capabilities, from mountains to the sea.
We encountered heavy rain during the test drive, but the new BMW X3 long-wheelbase version equipped with road tires still climbed up the 49-degree muddy mountain road steadily.
How is it done? The fourth-generation xDrive system completes intelligent power distribution within 0.1 seconds, and together with the innovative "3D vehicle terrain view function", 214 mm ground clearance and ADB-X automatic differential braking system, it forms an off-road weapon. With the ADB-X automatic differential braking function that has a 10-fold reaction speed increase, electronically controlled brakes and 214 mm ground clearance, the car can maintain a calm attitude even in the complex road conditions of the rainforest.

When we were sighing at the sight of a "macho man" who could climb steep slopes on the mountain road, when we got to the highway, it turned into a warm man who understood your "flirting eyes".
The new BMW X3 long-wheelbase version is equipped with the third-generation BMW Intelligent Driving System, which provides an automatic ramp assist function with line of sight confirmation. When driving on the highway connecting Pu'er and Xishuangbanna, this function will give lane change prompts when entering or exiting the ramp according to the navigation route, and the driver will confirm the lane change with his eyes.
The reason for this design is that before changing lanes, human drivers will definitely use their eyes to confirm the situation of the lane next to them.
It is reported that this is the product of BMW's adherence to the concepts of "human ergonomics" and "driving in the loop". Based on the design concept of "safety of use", it goes beyond the level of "functional safety" to create an intelligent driving assistance system that is reliable, practical, easy to use and dares to use for users.

Entering the era of intelligence, the new BMW X3 long wheelbase version has also incorporated innovative smart technology to reconstruct the driving pleasure.
The new car is equipped with the latest generation of BMW operating system and adopts the "zero-level" interaction concept. The main interface can simultaneously display navigation information and control high-frequency driving functions, thereby reducing operational interference and improving driving safety.
Through the multi-screen intelligent interactive architecture, the head-up display system equipped in the new BMW X3 long-wheelbase version has a significantly increased projection area, and optimizes the visual logic through information layering presentation technology.
BMW's Intelligent Personal Assistant has also been fully upgraded, with faster response speed and deeper evolution of interactive understanding capabilities. The system has added new wake-up word-free commands, delayed listening, and cross-domain multi-intention recognition functions, enabling a single voice command to trigger multi-task collaborative processing. At the same time, the four-zone voice accurately responds to the personalized needs of each passenger, building a new paradigm for smart cockpit interaction.
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