FIVE countries in three days, over 800 miles in driving snow, blizzards and ice - just the right test for BMW's new X3.

And I have to say the new car passed the test with flying colours.

With treacherous conditions gripping most of Europe the new X3 proved to be just the right companion for the journey.

Thankfully it was equipped with winter tyres and that made all the difference to this superb new premium 4x4.

A fantastic improvement over the old X3 - which was not one of BMW's best efforts - the new model is a topper.

It has certainly got the X factor and now enjoys the premium quality that its predecessor lacked.

Loaded with all the latest high-tech systems, the new model is surprisingly cheaper than the one it replaces.

The X3 xDrive 2.0-litre SE costs from £30,490 with manual transmission - £115 cheaper than the old model - and from £30,605 for the automatic.

You also get more standard kit for your money with leather upholstery, two-zone air conditioning, an iDrive controller and colour display all included in the price.

Wider and longer than the old model the new X3 is also much better looking.  The sharp edges and lines have gone and the car has taken on the design language seen in the recent new 7 and 5-series cars.

It now has flowing lines and looks more classy while still retaining some aggression.

On the inside, build quality is back to what you would expect from BMW and the materials now feel premium class.

The space on offer is also a nice surprise with rear legroom being much more generous. Load space is anything up to 1,600 litres and it can even be adapted to take three mountain bikes.

Despite all this, the X3 is the most frugual vehicle in its class and is also 25kg lighter than the model it replaces.

Just one engine is available at the moment, a super two-litre turbo diesel which will probably be the most popular unit for the UK. A more powrful diesel will follow next year but there are no plans to sell petrol versions in Britain.

The engine delivers some 184bhp and can tackle the sprint to 62mph in just 8.5 seconds.  Top speed is 130mph and I managed to get close to that on some unrestricted German motorways where the car felt rock solid at speeds way above the UK limit.

The car I tried featured the superb new eight-speed automatic box but you can also opt for a six-speed manual.

Both feature stop-start technology which reduces emissions and thirst and makes this new X3 a great proposition to beat the taxman. Business owners will pay much less company car tax and private users will also be rewarded with lower road tax.

And owners will also score on the fuel front as the X3's economy is now the best in class with a combined figure of 50.4 miles to the gallon.

The ride and handling are also much improved and three modes - normal, sport and sport+ - offer a variety of settings for the throttle response, power steering, stability control, gearshifts and damper responses. This optional variable damper control system costs an extra £910 but it is well worth it.

The car is an excellent cruiser and is also fun on country roads and on off-road tracks.

As usual dipping heavily into the huge options list can  add many thousands to the list price but the new X3 is superb in SE trim.

I started off my journey in snowy Austria and the weather turned rough almost immediately. It was tough going through Bavaria and the rest of Germany and Holland was only marginally better.

When I got back to the UK after driving for most of Friday and Saturday, I thought things would improve but when the boat docked at Newcastle the bad weather had just hit the UK.

The experience has certainly sold me on winter tyres - and on the X3. I think BMW will easily pass the modest target of 4,800 sales for this fine newcomer.