BMW’s plug-in hybrid X3 is as good a BMW as any, but how does it fare as an electrified vehicle?

SINGAPORE

Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) are seen as a stop-gap between internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and full electric vehicles (EVs), for people to get used to the idea of electrification without inflicting too much change on their daily driving habits. And the latest such model to debut here is the BMW X3 xDrive30e.

The X3 xDrive30e is by no means the first plug-in hybrid BMW sport utility vehicle (SUV) to be offered on sale (that would be the X5 xDrive40e from 2015), but given the X3’s status as one of BMW’s biggest selling models, introducing a plug-in version of its mid-size SUV is bound to broaden the appeal of plug-in technology to an even greater audience.
The only visible identifiers to mark out the xDrive30e from regular X3s are the charging port on the front left fender of the car, and the raised boot floor at the back, to accommodate the car’s battery pack. As a result, cargo capacity is reduced to 450-litres, down from 550-litres from the regular X3s.

 

Under the bonnet, the xDrive30e uses the engine is the same 2.0-litre turbo four-pot as seen in the X3 sDrive20i model, which produces 184hp and 300Nm of torque. When matched to the electric drivetrain however, the X3 xDrive30e puts out a total of 292hp and 420Nm of torque, which makes it the most powerful non-M X3 that you can have.

Power delivery is smooth and linear, and the car is fairly refined and quiet. The weight of the batteries do actually add an extra sense of stability that you’ll notice, whether you’re just cruising at high speed, or driving around a corner. It has a well-sorted ride and pretty planted handling, and the overall sensation is one of solidity.

READ MORE: How does the regular, non-EV-fied X3 behave in Singapore? Read the review!

So, in general, the xDrive30e is mostly like a regular X3: comfortable, decently powerful and nice to drive. But how does it fare as an electrified vehicle?

For one, BMW claims that the X3 xDrive30e has a range of between 51 to 55km when driving on electric power alone. Our own experience yielded around 40km before the electric range ran out, but as with things like these, your mileage may vary, as it is quite dependent on driving style. If you have a light foot, you’re probably more likely to hit the target figures, or even go slightly beyond.

There are three selectable settings for operating the electric drivetrain. The default is Auto eDrive, in which the car functions like a regular hybrid as it switches between electric drive and petrol engine as appropriate for the situation.

READ MORE: Prefer your SUVs with more than 500hp and none of that fancy EV stuff? BMW’s X3 M Competition has you sorted…but watch out for humps.

Max eDrive lets you drive purely on electric power only, until the range runs out and the mode becomes deactivated. Battery Control keeps the battery charge at the selected percentage as the car is driven by the engine. As with most electrified cars, energy can be recouped to some extent through regeneration, either via braking/deceleration, or through the combustion engine.

But given how it can deliver 40km without resorting to the combustion engine at all, it could be the perfect car for someone who wants to go greener, but doesn’t want to give up the convenience of an ICE.
Conceivably you could use the X3 for your daily commute and never use any petrol for weeks on end. If you ever forget to charge, it’s not a problem since it also functions as a full hybrid-electric car. And if the day ever comes when we can drive to Malaysia safely again, you can do that too.

All of that’s assuming you have somewhere to charge it daily, of course. BMW cites a recharge time of 3.5 hours through a wallbox. It’s not capable of DC fast-charging like some EVs are, but given the use case of a PHEV it’s not a big drawback – not to mention the fact that it has an engine so you’ll never be stranded.

BMW is not alone in this though, as the recently-launched Volvo XC60 Recharge also faces the same issue. And consider that on a home charger, an EV with a large battery can take as long as 10 to 12 hours to fully charge.

With that in mind, the BMW X3 xDrive30e strikes a great balance. A halfway house between two seemingly opposed technological solutions could easily be a flawed or neither-nor product, but the PHEV X3 proves that you can have the best of both worlds, without the pitfalls of either.

BMW X3 xDrive30e

Engine 1,998cc, inline four, turbocharged
Power 184hp at 5000-6500rpm
Torque 300Nm at 1350-4000rpm
Gearbox 8-speed automatic
Electric Motor 109hp
Battery Lithium ion, 12kWh
Charge Time / Type 3.5 hours / Wallbox
Electric Range 51-55km
System Power 292hp
System Torque 420Nm
0-100km/h 6.1 seconds
Top Speed 210km/h
Fuel Efficiency 2.8L/100km
VES Band / CO2 B / 49g/km
Agent Performance Motors Limited
Price S$251,888 with COE
Availability Now

Verdict: A combination of ICE convenience and EV zero-emissions tech, a solid choice for those who want their green future right now