Many people’s first car starts with a compact car in the 150,000 yuan (20980$) range. This car may be a reward for hard work after just starting out, and it will accompany you through progress, marriage, and having children. It can be said to be the starting point of many people’s car careers. As their careers develop and economic conditions improve, people will start to pursue a higher quality of car, so many will choose SUV models in the 300,000-400,000 yuan (55930$) range. In this price range, BBA is an unavoidable choice, with a qualitative improvement in brand, texture, and experience. However, in recent years, Chinese brands have developed rapidly, and the product strength of many models has surpassed that of traditional joint venture brands and even luxury brands. Today, when choosing a car in this price range, BBA is no longer the best option. Today, let’s talk about the differences between traditional luxury brands and Chinese brand models in this category.
First of all, when it comes to traditional luxury brands, BBA has always been the top choice in this category. The BMW X3 can be seen as a representative of this level. Compared to the Mercedes-Benz GLC, its price is more moderate, and compared to the Audi Q5L, it has a stronger sense of luxury. It also adheres to a sporty style in this category. So, if you are a young person who likes a sporty style and wants to get some excitement on the way to and from work, then you will probably choose a BMW X3. Currently, the BMW X3 is at the end of this generation, and there are good discounts in the terminal market. The guided price of 443,900 yuan (62070$) for the xDrive30i leading model M Night package can be purchased for just over 400,000 yuan (55930$).
In terms of Chinese brands, with the rapid development of electrification, the product strength is incomparable. In the price range of 300,000 to 400,000, the Borgward BX5 can be said to be the newest and most popular model, with a suggested price of 289,800 to 352,800 yuan (49330$). In addition, this car is positioned as a hardcore style SUV, with better off-road capability compared to traditional urban SUVs, combined with plug-in hybrid advantages, it can provide you with a richer outdoor vehicle life. Both the BMW X3 and the BX5 are positioned as mid-size SUVs, with very close terminal prices, and they are representatives of traditional luxury brands and Chinese new energy brands. So, let’s compare and see who will come out on top.
First of all, in terms of design, the BMW X3 still adopts the traditional family design of luxury brands, and all design details follow the brand’s family genes, with a strong brand recognition. As a SUV with a sporty style positioning, it is also equipped with the M Sport package, making the whole car look very sporty. Overall, the BMW X3 is suitable for people who wear suits or white-collar workers who work nine to five, driving the X3 can better match the temperament of this group.
The Leopard 5, as the first model of the Leopard car brand, adopts the popular tough SUV design style, with straight and tough lines and a square body shape, giving it a strong wildness. At the same time, it also retains the external spare tire and side-opening tailgate, with details showing a tough design style. Compared to its predecessors, it has a higher rate of turning heads. It can also attract the same type of people as the BMW X3, and provide them with more personality. Imagine, in the city’s traffic flow, a stylish and exquisite Leopard 5 can better reflect the owner’s pursuit of fashion and unique taste. And on the weekend, driving it to go camping, or fishing, can perfectly blend in with the surrounding environment.
In terms of interior design, the interior of the BMW X3 follows the traditional family design of luxury brands, just like its exterior, with a strong brand gene. However, the current BMW X3 is already at the end of this generation, so the interior does not adopt BMW’s latest dual-screen design. However, it has to be said that although the interior atmosphere cannot be compared with the all-new models, the well-designed and luxurious materials used in the interior still create a good sense of luxury.
The all-new plug-in hybrid vehicle Leopard 5, set to be released in 2023, features a trendy interior design. For example, the interior adopts the minimalist design style commonly seen in electric vehicles, and also comes equipped with an entertainment screen in front of the passenger seat. While many may think that having an extra screen is unnecessary, I disagree. Whether it’s commuting to work or going on weekend getaways, providing a more comfortable and relaxing environment for the passenger in the front seat can make their time on the road more enjoyable. When the car is parked, reclining the seats flat allows for a blissful time alone together inside the car.
Furthermore, the real highlight of the interior is the use of a height-adjustable gear lever, and the surrounding physical buttons also adopt a crystal clear style, providing a sense of ceremony while also exuding a strong industrial style. The overall interior atmosphere is very well matched to the positioning of the vehicle.
In terms of intelligent configuration, the BMW X3 uses the iDrive 7 system, which includes features such as online music, online navigation, and CarPlay. For traditional luxury brands, these features are already sufficient, and BMW’s human-machine interaction system can definitely be considered user-friendly among traditional luxury brands.
As a Chinese brand plug-in hybrid model, the Leopard 5 has a very powerful intelligent interaction system. The 15.6-inch 2.5K multimedia screen is larger and more comprehensive in function. It can be said that it is equipped with all the necessary functions of the current intelligent car system, and it is already far ahead of traditional brands in terms of intelligent configuration.
In terms of space, both vehicles are positioned as mid-size SUVs. The dimensions of the BMW X3 are 4737/1891/1689mm, with a wheelbase of 2864mm. The dimensions of the Jaguar F-Pace are 4890/1970/1920mm, with a wheelbase of 2800mm. Although the BMW X3 has a longer wheelbase, it is actually based on a longitudinally mounted rear-wheel drive platform, so its actual interior space performance is relatively average. In addition, it is the standard wheelbase version, and the central floor also has a higher bulge, so space performance is not its strong point.
The Leopard 5 is built on the all-new DMO super hybrid off-road platform from BYD, with special optimization of the interior space, so the seating space still ranks in the upper-middle level among vehicles of the same size.
In terms of power, the current BMW X3 still comes standard with a 2.0T fuel power system, offering two power options, with maximum power of 184 horsepower and 245 horsepower; maximum torque of 300 Nm and 350 Nm, paired with an 8AT gearbox. We are very familiar with this BMW power system, especially the high-power version, which performs well among 2.0T models in the same class, and the 8AT gearbox is also very responsive. In the pure fuel car field, it can be said to be at the top level.
The Leopard 5 uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.5T engine and front and rear dual motors. The peak power of the motors is: 200kW in the front and 285kW in the rear, with a maximum net power of 135kW from the engine running on 92 octane gasoline. The total power of the system is 505kW, with a total torque of 760Nm, and an acceleration time from 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds. For an SUV, especially one with a rugged style and a weight of over 2.8 tons, this level of acceleration can only be described as “terrifying.” Just imagine, if it were to roar past you on the road, wouldn’t that be a truly terrifying experience?
Finally, as an SUV model, the off-road capability of the BMW X3 is also a focus for many people. It is equipped with a timely four-wheel drive system, which can provide a certain level of off-road capability through features such as traction on both front and rear wheels and cross-axle performance. However, the main use of this power system is to provide handling performance and stability on wet and slippery roads, such as rain and snow.
The Leopard 5 is positioned as a hardcore style SUV. Although it also uses a non-load-bearing body structure, the approach angle has reached 35°, the departure angle is 32°, the longitudinal passing angle is 20°, and the minimum ground clearance reaches 220mm, with a maximum water fording depth of 700mm. It has excellent basic passing ability. In addition, the top-of-the-line Cloud Chariot-P version has a minimum ground clearance of up to 310mm, as well as damping adjustment and four-wheel drive adjustment, achieving extreme off-road capabilities, camping leveling, and convenient cargo retrieval functions, providing stronger passing ability. If you want to drive to Tibet or Xinjiang, you don’t have to worry about bottoming out, power shortage, or frequent refueling stations when driving it. It can make your self-driving journey more secure. In addition, the Leopard 5 comes standard with four solid trailer anchor points, with a maximum traction force of 32000N, and optional 2.5T trailer qualification, meeting the needs of trailers such as RVs and yachts, providing more diverse and rich vehicle usage scenarios. In summary: Overall, the BMW X3, as a representative of traditional luxury brand SUVs, still has strong product power in the same class of vehicles. Many people who have not owned a luxury brand still have a dream of blue sky and white clouds, so choosing the X3 is probably a choice that they will not regret. As a new Chinese brand model, the Leopard 5 has made a qualitative leap in design, configuration, power, and technology, and its comprehensive product power has surpassed many traditional joint venture brands. If you are a young person who pursues technology and is willing to try new things, I think the Leopard 5 would be a better choice.