The BMW X3 is getting a chance to prove its off-road capabilities in South Africa, where BMW has launched a new course designed to put the latest fourth-generation SUV through considerably tougher conditions than its typical daily routine.
BMW X3 Tackles a New Off-Road Course
The program is part of the BMW M Driving Experience South Africa and takes place at BMW xDrive Park in Midrand, near Johannesburg. BMW says the facility opened in 2018, while the new X3-focused course expands the activities available to drivers there.
The half-day program is designed to demonstrate how xDrive and the X3’s electronic driver-assistance systems perform away from paved roads. Participants encounter steep climbs and descents, cross-axle articulation obstacles, side slopes, water crossings, skid-control exercises and recovery situations.
The course combines driver technique with systems including xDrive all-wheel drive, Dynamic Stability Control and Hill Descent Control.
BMW’s photos show the X3 climbing uneven dirt obstacles, kicking up dust and using significantly more suspension articulation than it would during an ordinary grocery run.
The X3’s South African production also plays a role in the program. BMW describes the SUV as its “local hero,” with the G45 produced in South Africa. That makes the X3 the centerpiece of the course rather than importing an X5 or another larger model for the program.
BMW X3 Course Costs R4,950
The off-road course costs R4,950 (roughly $306 USD) and is limited to 10 people per session. Participants receive a certificate after completing the program.
BMW says the new course joins other South African offerings, including Advanced Safety, M Advanced and M Drift courses.
BMW Offers a Similar Experience in the U.S.
The concept will be familiar to American BMW fans. BMW’s Performance Driving Centers in the U.S. also incorporate dirt driving into their programs.
The current BMW Performance Driving Experience at both the East and West locations includes time behind the wheel of an X model on an off-road course before participants move onto the track and drive other BMWs through corners and straightaways.
The East location in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is particularly notable because BMW’s Performance Center sits directly across from the company’s massive U.S. manufacturing plant.
BMW’s Off-Road Driving Experience Dates Back to 2000
BMW’s off-road programs extend back decades. The company says its Driving Experience program launched its first major off-road tour in 2000, taking the original X5 through Morocco’s Atlas Mountains and desert terrain.
Later trips traveled through Kenya, Namibia and Botswana, with BMW Driving Experience South Africa eventually managing regional tours.
The new X3 course therefore extends an off-road program BMW has been developing for decades. While most X3 owners may never demand this much from their SUVs, the South African course demonstrates how far the midsize model can be pushed beyond its usual suburban environment.
