The new BMW X3 has won Car of the Year, but it's not without faults. Picture: Supplied.
Image: Supplied
I disagree vehemently with the decision to award the BMW X3 as South Africa's Car of the Year 2025.
For one, my understanding is that the winner is supposed to shift the goalposts in its class or for motoring overall.
First of all, the looks. Yes, appearances are subjective, but the design, for me, is bland compared to previous iterations and delivers none of the dynamism presented by its drivetrain.
On the performance front, of course, there is plenty of cleverness going on under the skin to deliver an engaging driving experience that is also comfortable - but it's a far cry from the engaged driving experience we've come to expect from BMW, particularly in as far as steering input and feedback is concerned.
The interior: futuristic but finicky.
Image: Supplied
Inside, I find the cabin far too finicky and gimmicky – why would BMW include additional actuators just to close the air vents? That's yet another electronic thing that can (and most likely will) fail over time and be ridiculously expensive to replace.
One of the other criteria is affordability – the X3 is simply out of reach for most consumers.
That being said, previous winners were also out of reach for all but a privileged few – 2024's BMW 7-series, 2020's Jaguar i-Pace, 2018's Porsche Panamera – but in all those cases these vehicles redefined their class, changing the game for their competitors and motoring in general.
Even when the Ford Ranger took the coveted title in 2023, it's because it ushered in a new era for double-cab bakkies, and was possibly one of the most highly anticipated new cars to be launched at the time.
For me, the X3 does none of this. It's a pretty toy packed with gimmicks, gaining far more weight than it needs to, necessitating unnecessary fettling with the power- and drivetrains.
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