Car shoppers will soon have a new BMW X3 to consider. The automaker continues to develop the next-generation crossover, with a new video catching the hotter M Performance variant, likely called the M50i, testing on US roads.
The automaker continues to hide the redesigned model underneath a full-body camouflage wrap. It should borrow styling cues from other new models. The new X3 appears to be wearing its production headlights, but the crossover’s rear-end coverings conceal the taillights. The quad tailpipes are an indication of the crossover’s peppier powertrain.
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While the new video fails to show off the interior, previous spy shots provided a clear peek at the cabin. The revamped X3 will align with the rest of the automaker’s recent reveals and adopt a wide, single-screen setup that integrates the driver’s display and the infotainment screen into one unit. The center console will replace its gear shift lever with a small toggle switch.
Specific details about the powertrain remain elusive, but we have seen pure gasoline and plug-in hybrid X3 models out testing. We also expect BMW to offer mild-hybrid options and a full-fat M3 that should surpass the current model’s 503-horsepower output. Sitting just below that in the lineup will be the X3 M Performance variant.
The 2023 X3 M40i packs BMW’s 3.0-liter straight-six engine under the hood, making 382 hp. The next-gen variant could make 400 hp or more, which might motivate BMW to add a few extra ponies to the X3 M for good measure.
BMW will offer an all-electric iX3, but it’ll look much different from its combustion counterpart. The new EV will ride on the company’s Neue Klasse platform, which will arrive in 2025. The current iX3 shares the same CLAR architecture and design as the non-electric model.
While it has been over a year since we first spotted the next-generation X3 testing in public, it might still be a bit before it launches. We don’t expect the automaker to reveal the regular versions of the new crossover until the first part of next year, with the sportier variants debuting even later.
Rumors have suggested that BMW won’t begin next-generation X3 production until August 2024, more than two years after public testing began. It recently updated the current-generation crossover for the 2022 model year with refreshed exterior and tweaked cabins.
