BMW X3 M40d Is Faster Than X7 M50d, 0-100 KM/H Acceleration Test Shows

It's not a bad looking thing, with black accents all over and some oversized air intakes, not to mention the trashcan-sized exhaust tips. It's Europe; the trashcans are smaller. However, the X7 M50d rolls together equal portions of luxury and sport, so it's worlds away from the E90 M3 that was in production not many years ago.

But it's fast, right? Well... kind of, but not really. BMW decided to make a multi-turbo inline-6 instead of revitalizing its turbodiesel V8 with the outcome being 400 horsepower and 760 Nm (560 lb-ft) of torque. BMW says that it will do 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds, but this independent test from AutoTopNL shows the standard sprint taking 5.58 seconds for this particular 2,460kg (5,423 lb) machine.

That's not bad, but you can go faster in the X3 M40d. This is still powered by a 3-liter engine, but with only two turbos instead of four. It makes 326 HP and 680 Nm, claiming to get to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. The real number to expect is 5.07 seconds, which isn't as disappointing.

Contrary to popular belief, there is some replacement for displacement. But in this case, the X7 is about half a ton heavier and only packs 80 more torques.

Of course, these sports models are in completely different classes, but the price gap reflects this as well. While the X3 M40d starts from €70,300, the big brother is almost €110,000, making it one of the most expensive SUVs out there. And with the air suspension let out, it kind of resembles a minivan from the back. Auch!