Magazine of the National Capital Chapter BMW ... - der Bayerische

Nurburgring track. When it
stopped, SEVEN adults climbed out
of the vehicle. The point was
dramatically made that the new X5
has three rows of seating.
As the SUV market expanded
to include smaller SUVs, a smaller
X-series vehicle was inevitable.
I was one of those who appreciated
the introduction of the
original X3. The X5 seemed a little
too big for my then family of three,
but we needed the extra room and
comfort for the traveling soccer
team duties. While we appreciated
the driving dynamics when driving
through Virginia’s back roads, the
compact size when we were driving
through Northern Virginia, DC and
Maryland, and the sleek exterior
design that made the product stand
out in the sea of “two-box” SUVs,
the X3 interior was lacking. It was
almost as if the German interior
designers had an issue understanding
the needs of the North American
small SUV market. The interior
was uncharacteristically plain – it
lacked the upscale performance feel
found in the rest of the BMW
product line. And the German
BMW designers still had a hard
time grasping the concept of family
BMW X3 xDrive35i
(Top) The new X3 now has the standard "formal" BMW nose. (Above)
Leave it to BMWMarketing to complicate a once-simple product name.
(Below) The Bangle "surface flaming" is still evident in the new X3's
design.
transportation. That was clear when
we discussed the past generation
X3 with the then BMW Chief
Designer, Chris Bangle. It was clear
that the X3 was designed from a
European point of view hence the
Spartan, business like look; as if the
interior was designed by IKEA.
This major deficiency has
been addressed with the 2011 X3.
May I June 13