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One that’ll appeal to family buyers is the £1,450 Interior Comfort package, including electric front seats, extended storage and a through-loading system which allows you to slot larger items through the armrest in the rear seats. Some are merely desirable, others will be genuinely useful and may well be worth adding – especially as most are available as part of a package comprising several features for a slightly reduced price. There are many to choose from too, which can quickly hike up the price. We’ve already seen that the X3 comes with plenty of equipment, but it’s not uncommon for those buying premium cars to add some desirable optional extras. M Sport-specific front and rear bumpers.M Sport trim will appeal to those looking for the sportiest-looking X3: xLine-specific interior trim on seats and sills.
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The X3 M Sport is the one to go for if you want sporty styling, while SE and xLine models focus more on comfort and luxury. All come with generous levels of standard equipment, so all you need to decide is how much you want to spend and what you want the car to look like. There are three trims to choose from if you’re buying an X3 – SE, xLine and M Sport. If you want something a bit more focused on style than space, the X3’s sister car – the X4 – is based on the same platform but with a rakish coupe-like body. The X3 is the kind of car families will be looking to buy and it delivers plenty of interior space, a big 550-litre boot and a generous number of cubbyholes and storage areas throughout the cabin. The range is diesel-only, all of which provide plenty of performance, but we’ll go into more detail on these later. We praised the X3 for its impressive performance and handling when it was launched, and the same rings true today – the X3 remains one of the best SUVs to drive. Launched in 2011, the X3 was facelifted in 2014 to bring it into line with newer BMWs, so it was treated to some styling tweaks, trim upgrades and more standard equipment.
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The BMW X3 is one of many models in the German brand’s growing SUV line-up, competing for sales with the Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Mercedes-Benz GLC.
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