If a new BMW model warrants a performance variant – and it appears most do, nowadays – Alpina will almost certainly beat Munich to it with its own interpretation. With the latest BMW X3 having been launched not long ago, the Buchloe-based manufacturer of customised BMWs has been developing its own rendition of the diesel-powered, G01-generation X3, the Alpina XD3.
Alpina has done an XD3 before, based on the F25 BMW X3. That was powered by a reworked version of BMW’s 3.0 litre biturbo six-cylinder diesel which produced 350 hp and 700 Nm of torque – in standard guise, the X3 xDrive 35d made 313 hp and 630 Nm of torque.
Changes beyond the factory BMW specification are typically deeper than mere tune-ups. Though the test mule here appears to wear minimal changes on its exterior, the Alpina-specific adornments can be expected on the front and rear bumpers, tailgate lip (otherwise a bootlid lip on the sedans), and a choice of wheels including Alpina’s signature multi-spoke wheel design.
Under the skin, the eight-speed automatic transmission can be expected to have its own recalibration for this higher-performance application, and the X3’s suspension can also be expected to have bespoke spring and damper tunes, in Alpina guise of course.
No images of the G01 Alpina XD3’s interior are forthcoming just yet, though prior Alpina form dictates that the cabin layout will remain the same, save for reupholstering of seat leathers and trims, while the steering wheel might also receive Alpina-specific shift buttons in place of paddles.
Timeline for the G01 Alpina XD3’s debut isn’t clear just yet, though it can be expected to make its debut sometime next year.
GALLERY: BMW X3 M40i
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