The seating folds quite flat too, while in general rear passengers enjoy plenty of legroom and headroom, and there are two ISOFIX mounting points for capsules and/or booster seats. In fact, the architecture, cabin layout and infotainment/driver assistance technologies are in large part trickled down from the new 5 Series and 7 Series passenger flagships. On its third trip through BMW's redesign studios, the X3 adopts the same philosophy of the current X5: don't break it, just burnish it.

Inside, BMW has moved the ball too, with a cockpit that’s grown warmer and more infotainment-friendly.

Add to that a rear comfort package (rear headrests, sunblinds and seat heating – $1820), 21-inch alloys ($1300), metallic paint ($1950), panoramic sunroof ($3000), Harman/Kardon surround sound ($2000), ambient lighting ($700) and driver and front passenger lumbar support ($600), among others. The xDrive AWD system is also trickled down from the 7 Series, BMW claims. Representing the mid-range grade in BMW's next-generation X3 family, the all-wheel drive xDrive30i brings a perky 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (185kW/350Nm) to the now larger and more spacious X3 … A bit like James Packer, then. Stepping up to the 30i or 30d adds Driving Assistant Plus, which includes Active Cruise Control with AEB, cross-traffic warning and steering and lane assistants that form part of BMW’s autonomous package (the same that appears on the 5 series), and that will allow you - in the right conditions - to take your hands off the wheel for spells of 40 seconds. Still, that didn't pose too many issues when packing for our interstate camping trip, as we squeezed in a tent, cooking gear, bedding, gas cylinders and more. How To, off-road tips and adventure travel destinations, Not just utes. Here we look at the petrol and diesel performance leaders, particularly the overdue 4.8sec 0-100km/h M Performance debutant, called M40i. MORE: 2018 BMW X3 pricing and specsMORE: BMW X3 M40i coming to Australia soonMORE: Everything BMW. The 2.0-litre turbo petrol is a spirited performer but it appreciates some revs before it really gets motoring. The smaller diesel lacks the outright punch to overtake quickly and cleanly, and is probably better suited to city life, and while the sole petrol option improves matters, its the rich stream of torque on offer from the big six-cylinder diesel makes it our pick of the bunch. It also has rails for cargo management, fold-down pulls for the rear seatbacks where you need them, even a damped cargo floor lid that covers a shallow hidden storage bin. Luxuriously leather/cloth seating and dash coverings combine with lustrous 'Poplar Grain Grey' wood trim, piano black fascia, tasteful 'Pearl Chrome' highlights and LED mood lighting to create a sublime interior, capped off – literally in this vehicle's case – by the expansive panoramic sunroof. But some judges felt that the ride quality in Comfort wasn’t comfy enough, and that the steering felt a bit too remote.

BMW has extended a safety recall for diesel vehicles across various model lines over a potential fire risk – now affecting around 268,000 units in the UK and 1.6 million globally. Instead, the third generation of BMW’s mid-size SUV uses the same building blocks that provide the foundations for the new 5 and 7 Series. © Copyright Are Media Pty Limited.