German luxury carmaker BMW on Tuesday launched the 'SportX' petrol variant of its SUV model X3 in India at an introductory price of Rs 56.5 lakh (ex-showroom). The X3 xDrive30i SportX can be booked online before February 28 mid-night and customers will enjoy early-bird benefits, including service package and exclusively curated accessories package, worth up to Rs 1.50 lakh, BMW Group India said in a statement.

The vehicle is powered by a two-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a power output of 252 hp, mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It can accelerate from 0-100 km/hr in just 6.3 seconds.

Commenting on the launch, BMW Group India President Vikram Pawah said BMW has pioneered the world of sports activity vehicles (SAV) with its 'X' range. For nearly two decades, the BMW X3 has been extremely successful in the luxury SAV segment as it strikes an ideal balance between on-road and off-road capabilities.

"Today, with the addition of the new 'SportX' variant, we are strategically expanding the range of BMW X3 offering and giving our customers the 'Power of Choice'. This powerful and adventurous 'X' machine is the ideal companion for those who are on a mission to push the limits," he added.

The vehicle is equipped with the company's xDrive, an intelligent all-wheel-drive system that monitors the driving situation constantly and distributes the engine's power between the front and rear axle exactly to suit the driving situation and the surface.

It has other features such as adaptive suspensions, electronically controlled 'Automatic Differential Brakes/locks (ADB-X)', extended Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), hill start assist and hill descent control helps to negotiate different terrains, the company said.

The X3 xDrive30i SportX is equipped with safety features, including six airbags, attentiveness assistance, dynamic stability control (DSC) including cornering brake control (CBC), electric parking brake with auto hold, side-impact protection, electronic vehicle immobilizer and crash sensor, ISOFIX child seat mounting and integrated emergency spare wheel under the load floor.