BMW has a lot riding on the X3; the SUV has been one of its best-selling cars since the first-generation model made its debut in 2003. The new fourth-generation X3 is around the corner, and the Munich-based brand has released photos and details to hint at the changes in store.
While BMW previewed a bold new design direction with the Vision Neue Klasse X concept unveiled earlier in 2024, the next-generation X3 will seemingly take a different path. Rather than mimicking the concept, the SUV carries on with a more conventional-looking front end that’s characterized by sharp headlights and a pair of wide kidney grilles joined in the middle. Its door handles are now integrated into the body and it features a more tapered roof line for a sportier look. The finer design details remain hidden by rolls of black and white camouflage.
BMW tells us it went to significant lengths to make the next-generation X3 more engaging to drive. Its engineers made the track wider, and increased both structural rigidity and directional stability. There’s a more direct steering ratio, too, and some variants will be available with an adaptive suspension system that includes electronically-controlled shock absorbers.
If you don’t want to drive, the next X3 will have you covered to a certain degree, at least. Details remain few and far between, but BMW notes the fourth-generation X3 “will offer an expanded selection of systems for automated driving and parking compared to the current model.” Inside, the X3 will receive the latest generation of BMW’s iDrive infotainment system and a wide digital instrument cluster.
There’s no word on what the X3’s specifications sheet will look like. We know it’s going to be offered with internal combustion engines; one of the variants shown in BMW’s images proudly wears four round exhaust tips. It looks like a hybrid drivetrain will be available, however, as another one of the test mules has a charging port integrated into the driver-side fender. British magazine Autocar learned the global range will include four- and six-cylinder engines, including a diesel, and a plug-in hybrid system. We can, however, see either an electric version called iX3 being offered, or even a unique electric variant using the iX3 name while borrowing Neue Klasse X styling. All-wheel-drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission will come standard.
BMW will fully unveil the 2025 X3 in the coming weeks, and sales should start by the end of 2024.
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