SHIFTING THE CENTER OF GRAVITY
The 3 Series coupe and sedan might be BMW’s iconic touchstone, but the X3 crossover is fast becoming its lodestone. The sales figures tell the story. In 2016, 3 Series sales finished 25.5 percent down from 2015 while X3 sales were up 38.4 percent. Through the first nine months of 2017, the X3 was up another 3.6 percent, and the 3 Series dropped 18.6 percent. The center of gravity is shifting at BMW.
The third-gen X3 is a critically important new vehicle for the automaker. One in three BMWs sold worldwide carries an X badge, and BMW expects the X3 to soon
