Friday 16th November 2018

Alpina confirms new XD3 for UK

Diesel is dead? Not for Alpina

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Remember March of this year? Easy to understand if not, there's been quite a lot going on in the past nine months. Even at the time, news of another Alpina XD3 was not huge, what with it being Geneva show time and all. But now it's been confirmed for the UK, with a release next year, the XD3 is rather more newsworthy - what with all the diesel fuss at the moment.

A brief refresh: like the previous XD3, this car uses Alpina's twin-turbo version of BMW's straight-six diesel (the standard engine using just one turbo), now making 333hp and 516lb ft. Which is, er, less power than before. Alpina claims a 0-60mph sprint of 4.8 seconds and a 158mph top speed, though, which remains pretty extraordinary for something so large. Interestingly this car suffers especially badly from homologation to WLTP; previously the XD3 was 44.1mpg and 173g/km on NEDC, but now 31.4mpg and 238g/km. Erk.

Additional tweaks are exactly those we like to see from Buchloe: "Alpina's dynamics specialists have spent months optimising the chassis not by hurling it around a race track, but by simply driving as customers would: on roads, enjoying every mile however fast or slow. The result is remarkable ride quality combined with a pin sharp driving experience" reads the press material, which sounds A-OK to us. To that end the car has bespoke front wishbones for one degree of negative camber, retuned electric steering, stiffer springs, recalibrated dampers (softer in compression, stiffer in rebound) and forged 22-inch wheels, saving 15kg of unsprung mass. Should you actually want to take an XD3 off-road, a set of 20-inch cast wheels with a bit more tyre profile are available.

Add all that to the usual raft of Alpina cosmetic tweaks inside and out, plus the range of customer individualisation available, and the result looks rather appealing. If not exactly the best of both worlds combo it once seemed to represent. Prices start at £57,900, with Alpina promising "significantly upgraded standard equipment" and deliveries from April. Fancy a used example, to save some cash? Good luck finding one of those...

 

 

[Iamnotkloot]

It’s an Alpina you say? Cool.
Oh it’s an X3......disappointing.
And it’s a diesel.
Hmmmm, I’ll pass thanks.

[Nerdherder]

I misread the title and thought it stated something about a new Alpine. My heart jumped. Then.... Big disappointment.
Time to call it a day and head out for a pint I guess!

[J4CKO]

Not my cup of tea but I bet its a brilliant all rounder/family car, not too hideous as SUV's go as well.

[Bumblebee7]

Nerdherder said:

I misread the title and thought it stated something about a new Alpine. My heart jumped. Then.... Big disappointment.
Time to call it a day and head out for a pint I guess!

Same here

[Midgster]

Bumblebee7 said:

Nerdherder said:

I misread the title and thought it stated something about a new Alpine. My heart jumped. Then.... Big disappointment.
Time to call it a day and head out for a pint I guess!

Same here

Me too...except I'll have a Red Bull and Vodka to get the evening going

[BFleming]

Pistonheads said:

Additional tweaks are exactly those we like to see from Buchloe

I saw somewhere recently that the latest wave of Alpina's are even less bespoke than previously, and are now made on BMW's own production line. Maybe that little plaque thing is made in some engravers on Buchloe Hoehestrasse, but that's about it.

[Burnham]

These cars are clearly not for you then, which is a shame as you are missing out if you've not lived with one for any length of time.

Slower than the equivalent M car for the 10% of the time you are at ten tenths....a better car for every other moment.

[chickensoup]

Does "homologation to WLTP" really mean an enforced dose of honesty?

[Ashok]

I've driven almost 70,000 miles from new in mine and it's simply magnificent - I can't wait to get the new one!

[Caddyshack]

That does look very nice

[LateStarter]

I'm definitely looking for one of these.
Love their philosophy of refinement and testing with real world driving.
Seem to be very rare bin the used market so may actually have to go new this time.n
Only strange thing to me is speccing 22" rims on a SUV. Surely most people who drive these also want a comfortable ride?

[Arsecati]

I don't think it is possible for me to care any less about this car.

I think I'll read 'Shed of the Week' again, at least that had some character and fizz! 😉

[RemyMartin81D]

Arsecati said:

I don't think it is possible for me to care any less about this car.

I think I'll read 'Shed of the Week' again, at least that had some character and fizz! ??

You cared enough to let us know you didn't care though.....so that's for that.

[craigjm]

BFleming said:

Pistonheads said:

Additional tweaks are exactly those we like to see from Buchloe

I saw somewhere recently that the latest wave of Alpina's are even less bespoke than previously, and are now made on BMW's own production line. Maybe that little plaque thing is made in some engravers on Buchloe Hoehestrasse, but that's about it.

They have been built on the production line for many years where it makes sense and then taken away and finished. It would make no sense whatsoever to make it from the ground up 100% away from standard production

[Burnham]

Ashok said:

I've driven almost 70,000 miles from new in mine and it's simply magnificent

Hey Ashok, do you have an order in yet for the new one? Once you get a delivery date would you bear me in mind when the time comes to sell your first gen XD3? I think it would be a good replacement for my other halfs S3

[PK0001]

31mpg !!!!!

238gms CO2 !!!!!!

That is truly shocking.

Swimming against the tide this one.

[ZX10R NIN]

LateStarter said:

I'm definitely looking for one of these.
Love their philosophy of refinement and testing with real world driving.
Seem to be very rare bin the used market so may actually have to go new this time.n
Only strange thing to me is speccing 22" rims on a SUV. Surely most people who drive these also want a comfortable ride?

Wait until you drive it you'll swear it's on 19's my OH's D3 is running on 20's & it rode better than my F80 M3 on 19's.

[Mackofthejungle]

Good to see a new emissions/economy test. I can't quite understand why people have been quoting clearly bullst numbers for the last 10 or so years. Of course a 2 ton, 350bhp brick on wheels isn't doing mid 40s to the gallon.

[Coley88]

I have an M40i, which to my eyes at least, is better looking than the XD3, has more power, doesn’t have the SE steering wheel and is also quicker, cheaper whilst doing roughly the same mpg and also doesn’t sound like a tractor.

It may not have the “Alpina” fine tuning, but far too many comprises to be a competitor in my opinion.

[Francis85]

Who would upgrade to an Alpina while downgrading to a diesel SUV?



Oh, well. Yeah. Always the same kind of people.