2018 BMW X3 aces crash tests, with caveats

The 2018 BMW X3 holds up well in crash tests, the IIHS said Tuesday when it awarded certain versions of the compact crossover SUV its Top Safety Pick+ award.

Not every 2018 X3 sitting on a dealer's lot qualifies for the IIHS' top award, but all feature a strong body structure that performed well in front- and side-impact testing. It's what options are selected that sets Top Safety Pick+ X3s apart from the rest of the lineup.

MORE: Read our 2018 BMW X3 review

The 2018 X3 earned the top "Good" score in all of the instrumented crash tests performed by the IIHS.

To qualify for the Top Safety Pick+ award, the IIHS says that X3s need to be equipped with an optional automatic emergency braking system and extra-cost LED projector headlights with automatic high-beams. The standard LED reflector-beam headlights on the X3 don't provide the same level of light output and they rate just "Marginal," the third-lowest of four tiers.

DON'T MISS: How to be sure you're buying a Top Safety Pick+ car

Ordering those features, which are standard on many rivals, on a new X3 bumps its suggested retail price from about $42,000 to more than $50,000.

The South Carolina-built X3 was redesigned for the 2018 model year. Its predecessor performed well but wasn't subjected to the more demanding small-overlap front crash tests for the driver and passenger, which simulate the vehicle making impact with a telephone pole.

The federal government has not crash tested the 2018 X3.