A first on the African continent, SVI Engineering, with the approval of BMW, has handed the German marque’s ever-popular premium midsize SUV, the X3, the bulletproof treatment. The X3 model in question? Well, the X3 M40i.
Comparable to B4 armouring, the package equipped to the locally-built SUV meets the requirements of ballistic-resistance class NIJ Level IIIA. As such, it provides protection against handguns, which include models of 9 mm and .44 Magnum calibres.
“This project represents the first time that BMW has performed an armouring certification on the African continent. The result is a vehicle that can withstand attacks up to .44 Magnum from different directions and angles,” said Dr Daniel Huber, BMW engineer for armoured vehicles.
So, how much can you expect to pay when armouring your X3 M40i through SVI? In short, R879 800, which excludes VAT and, of course, the pricing of the stock-standard, non-armoured X3 M40i, which, if you were wondering, is priced at R1 509 901. According to SVI, it takes “approximately” three months to convert the base X3 M40i to the bulletproof build.
For peace of mind, the original maintenance plan, which spans five years or 100 000 km, and two-year/unlimited km warranty remains, while the armouring conversion is covered by an additional one-year/50 000 km warranty.
As a reminder, the X3 M40i is powered by the Bavarian brand’s familiar 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six petrol engine, which is endowed with a healthy 285 kW and 500 N.m of torque, the latter of which is available from 1 900 r/min to 5 000 r/min.
