Alpina XD3 revealed with 3.0 litre quad-turbo diesel engine – 388 hp and 770 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 4.6s

Alpina is no stranger when it comes to modifying BMW cars, and has revealed its take on the latest G01 BMW X3. This is the Alpina XD3, which is likely the sportiest iteration of the X3 – more so than the M40i – until BMW decides to make an X3 M model. The XD3 will make its public debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show next month.

To beat the M40i, you’ll need power, and quite a bit of it. The 3.0 litre inline-six in the petrol-powered model makes 360 hp and 500 Nm of torque, which is good enough for a 0-100 km/h time of just 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h.

So, how is it possible that Alpina can make something better? Well, they decided to forgo tuning the petrol powerplant altogether, and instead worked on BMW’s 3.0 litre inline-six diesel engine. The German tuners then proceeded to increase the turbocharger count from two to four, and slapped on a common-rail high-pressure direct injection system as well.

The result is 388 hp and 770 Nm, all of which is handled by a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission that works with a xDrive all-wheel drive system – reconfigured to handle the additional torque. Subjected to tests, the XD3 will complete the century sprint in 4.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 266 km/h, all while burning oil.

However, only left-hand drive models will be get such a configuration, with right-hand drive ones sticking to a twin-turbo setup that makes just 333 hp and 700 Nm. It too gets an eight-speed auto and tweaked all-wheel drive system, but the performance isn’t as impactful – 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 254 km/h.

Handling improvements come in the form of Alpina’s sport suspension with electronically adjustable dampers together with an active rear limited differential. The Driving Experience Control switch allows drives to change between different vehicle setups at the push of a button – from Sport+ through to Comfort+.

While the changes under the hood are pretty noteworthy, the exterior revisions are pretty discreet as per Alpina standards. The front bumper now sports a lip spoiler with the company’s name, while at the rear, there are quad exhaust tips and a faux diffuser.

Along the sides are skirts to match the rest of the body upgrades, and the trademark multispoke wheels are fitted (20-inch standard, 22-inch optional). On the inside, there are now blue dials for the digital instrument cluster, and new graphics adorn most of the interior display screens.