BMW X3

At a glance, you might not notice the face-lifted BMW X3. You’re forgiven for this however, because the changes are subtle. The most evident one is the extended headlamps, which are now stretched all the way to the kidney grilles in keeping with BMW’s latest design statement. If you look closely, you will notice the slightly redesigned bumpers as well. And this bodes well for the X3, because it looks a little more aggressive and aggression certainly serves to make a statement in this segment.

The interiors, too, get some small changes such as the high gloss black panel with some silver inserts. The new X3 is also equipped with a bigger 6.5-inch iDrive screen, as well as a slightly more intuitive interface. Plus, it now comes with a panoramic sunroof, and bigger 18-inch wheels.

Most of that is immaterial as you pull out of the pits at the BIC. What is relevant is the fact that it has the same chassis and 50:50 weight distribution as BMW 3 Series  one of the best handling sedans in the world. And the inherent goodness of the chassis certainly shines through on the track. The 2.0-litre diesel engine that makes 190 horsepower is pretty responsive, and the 8-speed gearbox is impeccable. You can lunge from corner-to-corner in this car, and it feels every bit a sports sedan on stilts.

The X3 is also quite spacious and practical, so, really, it has everything going for it. The only trouble is that it doesn't stand out as much on the road as most buyers of compact crossovers would like. The redesign has gone some way in addressing that, but the underlying problem remains. This is still a subtle machine that goes about its business in the best possible way.

It’s really an extremely good crossover that makes a lot of sense it’s just that it’s a bit middle of the road. It just puts its head down and goes about doing the job it’s been designed to do, without really shouting about it.