Meet the seventh M-powered car for India! The angry-looking thing you see here is what BMW calls the X3 M. Unveiled globally in February last year, it has now landed in India sporting a price tag of Rs 99.9 lakh. Like all M models, this too arrives via the CBU (Completely Built Unit) route. And yes, it also keeps performance at the forefront.

All that becomes quite evident when you unwrap the spec sheet. Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine which produces 473bhp/600Nm, while an 8-speed M Steptronic automatic handles transmission duties. To keep things grippy, an xDrive all-wheel-drive system as well. Performance? The sprint from 0-100kmph takes 4.2 seconds, and it reaches an electronically-governed top speed of 250kmph. For something that weighs 2 tonnes, those figures aren’t too shabby!

Of course, it wears a shouty suit. It must! Besides more exuberant bumpers, the go-fast SUV packs 20-inch alloy wheels, M Sport exhaust system and M-specific suspension with adaptive dampers. In terms of creature comforts, the BMW X3 M offers automatic wipers and headlamps, ambient lighting, a panoramic glass roof, three-zone climate control and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The car also comes with powered front seats with memory function, a head-up display, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, wireless mobile charging, a 12-speaker 205-watt sound system and launch control.

As you’d expect, safety is top-notch too. In addition to airbags for all passengers, the X3 M also packs a rear-view camera, tyre pressure monitoring system, cornering brake control, Dynamic Stability Control, ABS with Brake Assist, Hill Start and Descent Assist, and electronic parking brake with auto-hold function.

The BMW X3 M isn’t really a direct rival for the Porsche Macan S. Although the former offers a more potent package, it costs considerably more as well. The real test for the newly-launched BMW arrives tomorrow – the GLC 43 Coupe. In addition to offering a coupe-esque shape, the Merc should cost noticeably less. That’s because it will be locally put-together.