BMW and Volvo Cars are two legends in the European market, BMW has gone from a factory specializing in aircraft to automobiles, and now it has achieved the status of a legend and a world-renowned brand. Volvo has gained a lot of attention around the world for its "safety". Nowadays, there are many mature models of both brands, among which BMW X3 and Volvo XC60 are important models in the two brands.
With the development of new energy vehicles, BMW and Volvo are actively investing in the new energy market, with the BMW X3 launching a pure electric model and the Volvo XC60 launching a plug-in hybrid model. With the price war in China's auto market, both models have good discounts in the market, of which the BMW X3 fuel version has a discount of about 100,000 yuan in the terminal market, and the Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid version has a discount of about 130,000 yuan in the market.
To this end, we chose the BMW X3 2023 xDrive30i Premium M Midnight Package with a guide price of 486,900 yuan compared with the Volvo XC60 New Energy T8 long-range four-wheel drive Zhiyuan luxury version with a guide price of 523,900 yuan.
In terms of appearance, the BMW X3 adopts BMW's classic kidney grille design, which is highly recognizable, with angel eye headlights, and the M night package, which enhances its sporty style. On the side of the body, the BMW X3 has stretched lines and does not have too many edges and corners, and with the sporty wheels, it enhances the sporty atmosphere. The rear of the car shows a good sense of hierarchy, and it is very recognizable after being lit, in addition, the BMW X3 is also equipped with a rear spoiler, and the shape of the double-sided exhaust pipes is also more eye-catching.
The Volvo XC60 also adopts the classic family design style, with a vertical grille on the front face, with "Thor's Hammer" headlights, a large central grille area and highly recognizable daytime running lights can bring a good momentum. On the side of the vehicle, the shape of the door panels and rear fenders has been changed to create a sense of power, while charging and refueling holes have been added. The tail design is still the standard "Viking Tomahawk" taillights, which are relatively recognizable and the overall design is simple.
In terms of interior, both cars are more traditional designs, among which the BMW X3 uses a floating central control screen, the flat size of the screen is not large, but the emphasis is on practicality, and the three-spoke round steering wheel with a chicken leg shift lever looks decent. However, as a luxury model, its materials naturally cannot cut corners, the overall interior materials and workmanship are solid, and the comfort of the place in contact with the body can be guaranteed.
Volvo XC60 adopts a T-shaped central control design, the layout of the central control has not changed, in fact, the design has been a little backward, especially its embedded central control screen, which looks a little old-fashioned, in order to cooperate with the embedded central control screen, it uses a vertical air conditioning outlet. In addition, the Volvo XC60 features a crystal shift knob that enhances the luxurious ambience of the interior.
In terms of space, the body size of Volvo XC60 is 4708/902/1660mm, the wheelbase is 2865mm, and the body size of BMW X3 is 4737/1891/1689mm, and the wheelbase is 2864mm.
The biggest difference between the two cars is in terms of power, the BMW X3 is equipped with a 2.0T engine and an 8AT gearbox, with a maximum horsepower of 245 hp and a maximum torque of 350 Nm. The Volvo XC60 we compare is a plug-in hybrid, which is equipped with a 2.0T engine with a maximum horsepower of 310 hp and a maximum torque of 400 Nm, and is also equipped with a motor with a maximum torque of 309 Nm, a comprehensive horsepower of 456 horsepower and a comprehensive torque of 709 Nm.
In terms of configuration, the Volvo XC60 has more knee airbags, 5 cameras, multi-layer soundproof glass throughout the car, leather seats, passenger leg rest, passenger seat memory, and air purifier than BMW X3. The BMW X3 has more tire pressure display, run-flat tires, built-in dash cam, on-the-car side warning, parallel assist, automatic parking and positioning, automatic lane change assist, tracking reversing, remote start, steering wheel shift, HUD head-up display, second-row backrest adjustment, 6 more speakers, and independent rear air conditioning.
Overall, the Volvo XC60 and BMW X3 have their own merits, but in terms of brand awareness, the BMW X3 is more attractive. As for the exterior design of the two cars, the interior design of the Volvo XC60 is slightly old-fashioned, which is also a problem faced by all Volvo models at the moment. In terms of power, at the same price, you can buy Volvo's plug-in hybrid, which has better performance in both power and fuel consumption, which is also the disadvantage of BMW X3. In terms of configuration, the BMW X3 will be a little richer, with more comfort than the Volvo XC60, which also makes up for its shortcomings in terms of power. As for the handling of the two cars, although BMW is famous for its handling, the handling of Volvo models is not bad, and both cars are SUV models, so there is not much difference in terms of daily driving handling experience. From the perspective of market sales, the BMW X3 is more attractive at a similar price.