Moroccan adventure in the new BMW X3
*There is no dialogue to be transcribed, only middle eastern sounding music.
[MUSIC]
We come to Morocco to drive this, the new BMW X3.
Why?
Well, it's that time of the year where it's too late for summer but too early for Christmas.
The leaves are changing color and The weather is getting nasty and dark.
And, well, London can be a depressing place this time of year.
So why not come somewhere a little bit more exotic, a little bit more warm?
And something that's a bit more interesting than the dull, Around the M25.
There was a time when coming to Morocco to drive meant having some serious off-road prowess to be able to get around in more rural areas, but not anymore.
We need something that can handle the odd massive boulder in the road, that can negotiate around donkeys and that can accommodate myself and Charlie and all of our filming equipment comfortably.
And the BMWX3, does just that.
From the busy streets of Marrakech, up into the mountainist terrains of the outlast mountains, the majority of the roads are.
to one extent or another.
Sure, the [UNKNOWN] alt section that's in need of some attention, and every now and then, there's a bit of loose stuff to negotiate, but unless you truly seek out impassable terrain, you can see a whole heap of the country from the comfort of the driver's seat.
And to the X3, a car that tics all the regular boxes for an SUV that really will leave the city streets.
Its only got the basic lineup of tools needed to tackle the tricky stuff.
It has all-wheel drive but, no low range gearing.
It has a reasonable wading depth of 50 centimeters, but I wouldn't take it through river.
And no fancy menus full of settings for every different conceivable driving conditions or any of that stuff.
There are no pretenses here.
It can handle a bit, but not everything.
Certainly though, enough for this.
[MUSIC]
The new BMW X3 that I drove was the X-Drive 30d M Sport, which is a bit of a mouthful.
But, what that means is that you get a six cylinder, three liter diesel engine good for 265 horsepower And 457 lb of torque.
It will get you to 62 in 5.8, and all the way up to 149 miles an hour if you let it.
There's a perfect 50/50 weight distribution and new improved aerodynamics with extra vents in front and behind the front wheels There are enough visual changes to make it look more up to date with a larger grill, updated LED headlights and the more sculpted profile.
It's a better looking car than it was.
And it's lower look makes it feel more like a lifted estate car than an SUV.
And that's not a bad thing.
To drive the X3 is like a typical BMW.
Everything you expect is here and present from a Mid level car.
The performance is adequate.
Put your foot down and the speed just comes.
The eight speed gear box can be a little bit on the laggy side.
in the normal mode.
But in sport it sharpens up enough to be engaging.
Even though it is a little bit firmer than it possibly could be, and we're really putting that to the test now in these roads in particular, It's still perfectly comfortable, I bet you could spend hours and hours in this thing with no trouble at all.
I certainly could feel like I could drive here for a few more days out here before I get completely tired of the comfort level.
So is the handling, when you build up a bit From our speed, its quite confidence giving.
Spinning all four wheels like this gives you the extra confidence to take corners that much quicker.
And the traction control does a good job of making a sensible when putting the power down.
Even when it turned off, you can balance the car just nicely through.
You can go a lot quicker than you think you probably should.
Body roll is minimal as well.
It keeps nice and planted through the corners, which is possibly part of it feeling a bit firmer than it could do.
The compromise of it being flatter through a fast corner but not necessarily as soft on the buttocks on the straights is a compromise I can live with.
Although BMW would like you to think that every car they make Make this the ultimate driving machine.
You have to be kind of honest about it.
Realize that the X-3 is bought by people who need a car that is good at certain utilitarian efforts.
There has to be enough room in the back for kids, there has to be enough space in the trunk for suitcases and dogs and whatever else you my family want to transport.
So, yes, there's going to be compromises to make sure that that happens.
And the X3 is very much an affordable car so the performance matches that slightly.
It's fun, engaging, but not mind blowing.
The new X3 is based on the 5 Series platform.
That means, amongst over things, an updated cabin and infotainment system featuring gesture control for those who like the idea of waving their hands around in their car.
But, the biggest addition on the technology front is arguably the BMW co-pilot system.
That could allow for some autonomous driving features when making your regular commute.
But, these most certainly weren't the roads to put that to the test.
Now this thing is gonna sell like absolute hot cakes.
Why?
Because it's an SUV.
The world cannot get enough of SUVs.
I have literally lost count how many new SUBs I've driven this year.
And with cars like the Stelvio and Coming up to really change the game in terms of variety and interest.
The X3 has to work really hard to remain relevant.
There aren't any massive leap out features that the X3 has immediately got and we can say, yes this is the reason why you should definitely stick with this car or choose a Over it's competition, but for the exact combination of factors we're facing out here in Morocco, it's just about right.
Morocco has been an incredible place for us to come and visit.
And what's been so great about having a car and having the ability to drive out and find little nooks and crannies of it, is that you get to drive out here in the Atlas Mountains.
And find your way into tiny little villages off the beaten track and hang out with some of the local people.
Sometimes they try to sell you stuff and other times they're just very, very interested in your camera equipment, but it's just so much better to take in a different corner of the world.
And when you live by the side of the road and you see boulders like that, you realize that this place is changing every day.
The landscape is altering, morphing and turning into different things.
And if one of those boulders falls on you, you're going to have a bad day.
But that all adds to the adventure, right?
Right?
Our time with the X3 was fantastic.
The car itself was comfortable and enjoyable enough to drive to keep me engaged.
But it was where we could take it that stole the show, and despite it feeling worlds apart from where we.
We usually find ourselves.
It really wasn't as inaccessible as it could have been.
The X3, even with its modest offroading ability had more than enough up its sleeve to get us through remote corners of this magnificent country.
It seems that even in a place like Morocco with all-wheel drive skills, a little dab will do you.
[MUSIC]
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