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Alpina XD3 coming next year, XD4 not for Australia

No right-hand drive for quad-turbo coupe crossover, but we're getting the SUV


Alpina won't bring the XD4 high-riding coupe to Australia, but we will get the more practical XD3 – albeit with a twin-turbo engine in place of the quad-turbo offered in Europe.

Offered with a quad-turbo (yes, quad) inline-six in left-hand drive markets, the XD4 makes 285kW of power and 770Nm of torque. It's put to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission and a BMW xDrive all-wheel drive system.

The XD3 is offered with the same powertrain in Europe, while right-hand drive markets get a 246kW and 700Nm twin-turbo inline six instead. Apparently, the extra two turbochargers won't fit when the steering rack switches from left- to right-hand drive markets. Don't worry, it still hits 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds.

Thomas Cormu, product manager for Alpina's local distributor, confirmed the twin-turbo XD3 will be offered locally from the start of 2019.

"We are planning to get the XD3 next year – at the beginning of next year, to Australia" he told media at an event in Melbourne.

"It will be a diesel... We have two engines: we have one engine for the left-hand drive, the four-turbocharger engine in the XD3, and we have one engine for the right-hand drive XD3, which will be available in Australia."

Above: The coupe-styled XD4

He later elaborated, arguing the XD3 offers something not available in the current BMW X3 line-up.

"We are always looking to be the top of the range, and for the moment in Australia – and in Japan and the UK – the X3 has only the 3.0-litre with 265 horsepower, and we will be offering the top of the range entry."

As for the XD4? Cormu quickly shut the door on that one, quickly telling the assembled journalists it's left-hand drive only for the moment.

Andreas Bovensiepen, Alpina CEO and son of the company's founder, explained that decision was volume-driven.

"There has to be a certain business case... if you have a second variant, a second model, you have to pay for it," Bovensiepen explained.

"Then you have to calculate if this is justified if you see the volume. I don't know what will happen over the lifecycle, but currently there is no intention have the right-hand drive in the X4, only the left-hand drive."

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