BMW India has launched two diesel variants of its second-generation X3 compact - xDrive20d and xDrive30d - to boost sales of the model that sells in single digits. With these variants, the company hopes to tap the swing towards diesel.

The company sold 28 units of the X3 in the last calendar and has barely sold 14 in the seven months of the current year.

The new X3 will be made form CKD kits at BMW’s Chennai plants. While bookings begin right away, deliveries of the xDrive20d will start next month and the xDrive30d in October.

The new model gets muscular styling as compared to the one it replaces and is 83mm longer and 28mm wider than the model it replaces and sits on a slightly longer wheelbase. It also weighs 90kgs less than the earlier 2.0 diesel car The new X3 competes with the likes of Audi Q5, Land Rover Freelander and Volvo XC60. Incidentally, Audi has juts launched the Business Edition of the Q5 which is a lot cheaper than the regular variant

The all India ex-showroom prices of the new BMW X3 are as follows:

xDrive20d: Rs 41,20,000

xDrive30d Rs 47,90,000