New off-road BMW X3 goes on sale in South Africa – Pricing and features

BMW has added a new off-road-themed model to the popular X3 series in South Africa.

Our sources at Duoporta Vehicle Information Specialists alerted us to the fact that a new option has been introduced to the local X3 lineup, known as the X3 20d xDrive Rugged.

As its name suggests, the Rugged is meant to be a bundu-bashing take on the upmarket SUV, adding a number of modifications and new features that make it better-suited for venturing off the tarmac.

The Rugged has a starting price of R1,232,417, meaning it comes at a R96,000 premium over the base 20d.

What’s new

First and most importantly, the Rugged comes standard with adaptive suspension, which is normally a R22,000 option on the lower trim levels.

BMW has also swapped the 20d’s default 19-inch alloy rims for smaller 18-inch ones in order to fit a chunkier set of 225/60 R18 all-terrain General Grabber tyres.

Unfortunately, the company has not stated whether these changes have made a difference to the SUV’s standard ground clearance of 208mm.

The other major addition to the outdoor-themed X3 is a new roof rack system with a 320-litre roof box, which will no doubt make it easier to store supplies on a camping trip.

On that note, the Rugged also features an electronically deployed trailer tow hitch (rated to tow up to 2,500kg), a paint protection film, heated front seats, and all-weather floor mats to protect against elements such as mud, dust, and water when returning from a hike.

All of this is on top of what’s already offered on the BMW, including automatic LED headlights, keyless entry and start, tri-zone climate control, a flat-bottom leather multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, a wireless charger, ambient lighting, and a 14-inch curved dual display for the driver and infotainment systems.

The touchscreen supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and comes with cloud-based onboard navigation.

The premium SUV is also fitted with assistance functions like cruise control, front-collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-change warning, speed limit info, speed limit assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a reverse camera.

Powering all of this is a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine with 145kW and 400Nm, which links to the xDrive all-wheel-drive system via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

It has a 0-100km/h time of 7.7 seconds, and an average fuel consumption of 6.2l/100km.

Pricing

The South African pricing for the updated BMW X3 series is as follows:

• BMW X3 20 – R1,047,760
• BMW X3 20 M Sport – R1,097,760
• BMW X3 20 Pure Design – R1,107,760
• BMW X3 20d xDrive – R1,136,417
• BMW X3 20d xDrive M Sport – R1,186,417
• BMW X3 20d xDrive Rugged – R1,232,417 (New)
• BMW X3 30e xDrive – R1,260,000
• BMW X3 30e xDrive M Sport – R1,310,000
• BMW X3 M50 – R1,545,446

Each purchase comes with a 2-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and a 5-year/100,000km maintenance plan.

BMW X3 20d xDrive Rugged