There are presented antibacterial cephalosporins having broad antimicrobial activity as well as intermediates for their formation, such compounds having the formula ##STR1## wherein X is ##STR2## R is hydrogen or a carboxylic acid protecting group; R.sub.1 is hydrogen or an acyl group;R.sub.2 is hydrogen or lower alkoxy; andR.sub.3 is carbocyclic aryl or alkyl carbocyclic aryl substituted on the ring with two or more of hydroxy and/or lower alkanoyl ester groups, with halogen being an optional additional ring substituent;as well as the corresponding readily hydrolyzable esters, pharmaceutically acceptable salts and hydrates of these compounds where R is hydrogen.