Summarize

South Africans love to moan. Bitch and complain. Sure, there’s more than enough to complain about, but it seems to have become a national pastime. Which is a pity.

Why? Well there is plenty to be proud of, to shout off the roof about and not too many folk ever say too much about those bits – seems better to look at the downside. Maybe that gets more likes, oohs and tears?

So, allow me to be different – I am going to celebrate a South African jewel for once and I don’t give a damn if it’s good news.

Did you know that the Australian motor industry collapsed completely over the past five years? Ten years back I was jealous of that facet of Aussie life (and only that!) – its big homegrown Fords and Holdens were brilliant and they built all kinds of other cars there too. Ten years on? It’s all gone. Sad but true.

Britain is in Australia’s car business death slipstream too – and it’s not just the Brexit Goon Show driving those changes. And what of the South African motor business?

Well it’s bloody well brilliant mate! Tomorrow morning, I fly off to George to meet the latest SA-built Ford Ranger – built in Pretoria using best on earth new bakkie diesel engines made in PE, not far from where they make most of the VW Polos in the world. Move up the coast to East London and they make C Class Mercs as good as any and you will find a couple of hundred Hiluxes coming off another line a day, a few hundred kilometres up the coast, to name but a few.

Back up on the other side of Pretoria is Rosslyn, where another carmaking hub churns out all form of cars, bakkies, trucks and more, including this BMW X3 to satisfy global markets. Now there’s something you can’t bitch about…

Anyway, what about this fine BMW X3 xDrive 2.0d built right here in sunny South Africa alongside a host of world class cars and bakkies?

Powered by BMW’s exceptional 2-litre turbodiesel (diesel – there’s another argument for another day!) that churns out a meaty 140kW at 4000rpm and 400Nm at 1750rpm with a usable 4300rpm, it's mated to BMW’s regular 8-speed automatic fine-tuned to perfectly match that broad output to your immediate driving situation.

Add constantly variable BMW xDrive all-wheel drive to ideally share output between the four wheels for both ideal road holding and handling and when required, off-road prowess. Talking of which, this mild off-road Sports Activity machine comes with 205mm road clearance, 500mm fording ability and respective 25.0 and 22.6-degree approach and departure angles.

That said, being a BMW, it’s no surprise that road holding and handling are high-points – positive steering feel and firm, but pleasant ride conspire to deliver the expected sheer driving pleasure. Safe as houses too, if you want it, you can also turn all that driver assist and lane control interference off if you want to. 

Talking tech, this generously appointed X3 came stacked with all the latest gizmos from tri-zone auto climate control, an auto tailgate, satellite navigation, smart synthetic leather seats and cool alloy wheels, along with a svelte, improved and updated materials, some of it standard, others you can tick those boxes and pay extra for.

I’m not really sure about the looks, although thank goodness, this one lacks the chromium grid they used to braai the last eland, that somehow found its way onto forthcoming big brother X7’s unfortunate nose, but X3 does quite look the part. It’s also very well priced and ideal as a buy-down once you are scared witless by those latest full-sized SUV prices.

An exceptional all-round package, the best thing about this new X3 is however that it is made in South Africa alongside a stunning list of other vehicles by an industry that does the country beyond proud every day. Now put that in your pipe and smoke it – and remember that before you next join that bloody bitching chorus…

ROAD TEST – BMW X3 2.0d xDrive

Engine:          140kW 400Nm 1995cc TD I4

Drive: 8-speed auto AWD

TESTED: 

0-100km/h: 8.06 sec

0-160km/h 22.18 sec

400m: 15.7 sec @ 139km/h   

80-120km/h:          6.17 sec

120-160km/h: 10.63 sec

CLAIMED:

VMax:           213km/h

Fuel: 8.0/100km

CO2: 149g/km

LIST PRICE R687 

RATED          88%