The passenger compartment of the BMW X3 remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and the front seat passenger. BMW showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.  Protection of the driver’s chest was rated as marginal, based on dummy readings of compression.  Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the BMW X3 would be a moderately benign impact partner in a frontal collision.  In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection was good for all critical areas of the driver but was marginal for the chest of the rear passenger.  In the side barrier test, the BMW X3 provided good protection to all critical body areas and scored maximum points.  In the more severe side pole impact, protection was at least adequate for all critical body areas.  Control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the far side) was found to be adequate.  The BMW X3 has a countermeasure to mitigate against occupant-to-occupant injuries in such impacts.  The airbag performed well in Euro NCAP’s tests with dummy readings indicating good protection for both the driver and passenger.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric analysis of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.  The car has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash, and a  system to prevent secondary impacts after the car has been in a collision.  BMW demonstrated that the doors and windows would be openable to allow occupants to escape in the event of vehicle submergence.

In the frontal offset test, protection of all critical parts of the body was good or adequate for both the 6 and 10 year dummies.  In the side barrier impact, protection of all critical parts of the body was good for both dummies.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  The BMW X3 is not equipped with 'child presence detection', a system which can alert others if children have been left in the car. All of the child restraint types for which the BMW X3 is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.

The BMW X3 has an 'active' bonnet.  Sensors in the bumper detect when a pedestrian has been struck and actuators lift the bonnet surface to provide more space to the hard structures underneath.  Make showed that the system worked robustly over a range of speeds and for different statures.  Accordingly, the car was tested with the bonnet in the raised, deployed position.   Protection of the head of a struck pedestrian or cyclist was largely good or adequate, with poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars and at the base and top of the screen.  Protection of the pelvis was mixed. Protection of the femur was good at all test locations, while that of the knee and tibia was good in some areas and poor in others.  The autonomous emergency braking system of the BMW X3 responds to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to other vehicles.  In tests of its response to pedestrians, the system performed well, although detection of those to the rear of the car is an option that was not included in this assessment.  The system performed well in tests of its reaction to cyclists, including ‘dooring’, where a door is opened into the path of a cyclist approaching from behind.  The system’s response to motorcyclists was good.

Overall, the performance of the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system was good in tests of its reaction to other vehicles.  A seatbelt reminder system is fitted as standard to the front and rear seats.  The car has an indirect driver status monitoring system as standard, detecting driver fatigue but not distraction.  The lane support system gently corrects the vehicle’s path if it is drifting out of lane and also intervenes in some more critical situations.  The speed assistance system identifies the local speed limit.  The driver can choose to allow the limiter to be set automatically by the system.