The prototype BMW X3, which was spotted in Germany, is anticipated to start production in the United States in 2024.
According to images of a carefully camouflaged prototype spotted in Germany, the fourth-generation BMW X3 compact crossover will have the brand’s larger iconic kidney grille and slimmer LED lighting.
The X3 accounted for 21.4% of all sales in the first half of 2022, making it BMW’s second-best-selling vehicle in the United States.
According to AutoForecast Solutions, the revamped model would begin production in August 2024 at BMW’s factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with U.S. deliveries starting in late 2024.
The forthcoming BMW X3 will be available in a variety of configurations worldwide, including all-electric, plug-in hybrid, and M performance models.
Uncertainty surrounds whether BMW will produce the battery-powered iX3 of the future on the Cluster Architecture platform of the present model or wait until the carmaker introduces the all-electric Neue Klasse architecture in 2025.
The company’s EV sales will increase thanks in large part to the Neue Klasse platform, according to Oliver Zipse, CEO of the BMW Group. It is a significant advance in technology.
The X3 received an update last summer to give it a more rugged and sporting appearance. The SUV was upgraded with a new, larger kidney-shaped grille from BMW as well as revised front and rear bumpers, exhaust trim, and tail lights.
In order to streamline the X3’s powertrain for 2022, BMW eliminated the xDrive30e plug-in hybrid in the U.S., leaving only the four-cylinder sDrive30i and xDrive30i trims and the six-cylinder M40i trim.
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Next-Generation BMW X3 Renderings Gallery
The images show a new grille up front, which is surrounded by shorter headlights and sits underneath a new hood. Below all of that is a new front bumper with a much more aggressive shape than the existing face. A redesigned rear bumper and thinner taillights are present on the back.
The crossover’s size is one thing that the renderings are unable to depict. The spy photos gave the impression that the new X3 might be bigger than the present model, but we’ll need to measure it to be sure. The interior, which our spy photographers were unable to picture, is another area that is still a mystery. However, we anticipate BMW to install its most recent iDrive 8 infotainment system and its dash-spanning screen, similar to what is provided in the new iX.
We don’t anticipate BMW to show this new X3 until at least next year, so it’s way too soon to know about the powertrains. In addition to the all-electric iX3, BMW is anticipated to offer a variety of gasoline, diesel, and electrified engines. Since spy photos showed the crossover with four exhaust points sticking from the back, we know BMW will offer an M40i variant.
We don’t think the next-generation model will make its debut before BMW updates the X3 for the 2022 model year. Before a presentation, it might take more than a year, and BMW might even delay the introduction until early 2024. The redesigned X3 might not arrive in US dealerships until the 2025 model year.
BMW X3 spy images: first appearance of redesigned SUV
For the first time, a prototype of the revamped BMW X3 has been spotted. The fourth generation of the best-selling marque will be represented by the new crossover.
A mid-cycle update for 2022 was given to the existing X3, which debuted in 2017 as the 2018 model year. According to BMW history, the revamped X3 should debut in 2024 as a 2025 model. About a year following this X3, a redesign of the associated X4 should be released.
Despite the prototype’s extensive camouflage, we can tell that it will have proportions that are extremely close to those of the current generation, but slightly more rounded. Although the camouflage gear has been used to make the grille look identical to the grille on the existing X3 model, the outline of the headlamps can plainly be seen and the grille appears to be adopting a taller design.
Although we can’t see the interior, it should have a clean dash with floating screens for the infotainment center and instrument cluster, as seen in the newest BMW models, including the just-updated 2023 3-Series.
Rear-wheel drive with an all-wheel drive option will be standard on the platform, which will be an upgraded version of the CLAR design used in the present X3. Look for 2.0-liter inline-4 and 3.0-liter inline-6 turbocharged engines, both of which come standard with mild hybrid technology. Additionally, plug-in hybrid power will be available, possibly even in the next X3 M.
Outside of the United States, the current X3 provides an electric iX3 option. While the current iX3 is built on a modified version of the CLAR platform, the successor, which should debut in the United States in 2025, is anticipated to be built on the Neue Klasse dedicated EV platform developed by BMW Group. The upcoming 3-Series is anticipated to come in an electric variant as the first model.
The BMW Group plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where the current X3 is made, will produce the new X3. The BMW Group plant in Debrecen, Hungary, where Neue Klasse automobiles will be produced, may also produce the electrified model.
BMW won’t want to take any chances with the X3. BMW sold 75,858 units in the United States alone in 2021, making it the brand’s most well-liked car in this country.
First-Ever Images Of The Next-Generation 2025 BMW X3 Looking Like A Larger X1
[UPDATE: The story has been updated with images of a different prototype that, based on the smaller-diameter wheels and the concealed exhaust pipe, looks to be the base-spec X3. We also catch our first glance of the dashboard, which is comparable to the current BMW lineup and features a fully digital cockpit.
A disguised prototype of the SUV, which our undercover photographers captured for the first time as it was being transported, serves as proof that BMW is already working on the next-generation X3.
The prototype appears to be sporting the production body of the fourth generation of the X3, which is apparently still in the early phases of development. The new car has similar-looking headlamps and a well-known windowline to the previously unveiled 2023 BMW X1, giving it the appearance of a bigger sibling.
It’s reassuring to see that BMW’s iconic linked kidney grille doesn’t appear to be much larger than the current X3; in fact, we think it might even be a little bit smaller, at least on this early prototype. The shape is still recognizable, but it now features smoother surface, more pronounced front and rear fenders, and slightly boxier wheelarches comparable to its forerunner. A fresh set of alloy wheels with a more intricate variation of the traditional five-spoke design can also be seen.
The model’s distinctive LED taillights are concealed by what appear to be false taillights at the rear. We anticipated them to resemble the angular design of the X1 but be smaller than in the current X3. However, the quad round exhaust tailpipes and the enlarged rear spoiler give away the presence of a performance-oriented derivative. In this regard, according to our sources, the prototype shown is the M40i model, a scaled-down version of the X3 M.
We don’t know the new X3’s specs, but we assume that it will be similar to the 3-Series in terms of architecture. Similar to the existing model, the SUV is anticipated to be sold in ICE-powered, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric (iX3) varieties, albeit with cleaner and more effective powertrains. This is consistent with BMW’s approach of providing a wide range of alternatives for each model, however we anticipate this will be the final X3 to be powered by an ICE before the Bavarian carmaker switches to an all-electric lineup.
The BMW X3’s current third generation was unveiled in 2017 and underwent a facelift in 2021. This indicates that a new model could debut in 2024 at the earliest, possibly as a 2025MY, thereby completing the regular seven-year lifetime for BMW goods. Along with the performance-oriented M-branded cars, which will undoubtedly survive to the next generation with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, a coupe-style BMW X4 will probably come soon after the X3.
Again Spied BMW X3 Still Covered in Heavy Camouflage
The present BMW X3 is approximately due for a new generation at five years old. And following its recent spy shot debut, our spies were once more able to catch this new X3 practicing on the streets of Munich.
Even though the car’s body is still extensively camouflaged, we can still make out certain elements, particularly at the front. With higher, linked kidney grilles and more angular headlights, the overall appearance resembles the previously unveiled X1. Additionally, the wheel arches have become boxier, and it wouldn’t surprise us if this new model embraced the more angular body lines of several recent BMWs.
A chamfer that extends from the rearmost point of the window and continues as a ledge above the vehicle’s shoulder line all the way to the front appears to be another way that the window line takes design elements from the forthcoming XM flagship SUV. Another feature shared with the XM is the more accentuated fenders that can be seen poking through the camouflage.
Other than a sizable U-shaped indentation in the bumper underneath the tailgate, there isn’t much to see in the back. If we had to speculate, we’d say the final design will resemble the X1, with sharp, angular taillights and crisp, powerful character lines defining the bumper and hatch area.
Nothing is presently known about the upcoming X3’s powertrain options, although we anticipate that it will come in ICE, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric versions. It’s also anticipated that this model will be the final X3 to offer gas engines as an option when it debuts, most likely no earlier than 2024. In the future, the model lineup will also include the X4 coupe’s brother, M Performance, and full M vehicles.
Major Changes Are Coming To The New BMW X3
BMW’s best-selling item in the US, the X3, and its brother, the X4, have recently undergone updates for the 2022 model year. Even though the X3 prototype is only one year into its most recent update and will not see any changes in 2023, our undercover photographers have already observed it preparing for its upcoming significant milestone. This cloaked BMW X3 represents the fourth generation of the car and is most likely from 2024 or 2025. The third-generation BMW X3 was delivered in 2017, thus the moment appears appropriate for an entirely new model. Our initial spy photos of the upcoming model indicate a new design direction.
These test mule vehicles might be the first versions of the X3 M’s successor based on the outward characteristics and the circular quad exhaust tips (BMW has gone on record saying that M Performance models will get squared quad tips). Having said that, there don’t seem to be any further M-specific design cues, but this is a very early test car, so that could be the case. Another option is that BMW will update the exhaust systems on its full-fat M vehicles as part of its next design iteration.
The X3 M40i is what BMW now refers to as the M Performance variant, however this could change. The current M40i comes with a 3.0-liter inline-six turbocharged engine that generates 382 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.
It’s uncertain if BMW would abandon the inline-six in the future X3, given that competitors like Mercedes-AMG have switched to smaller, four-cylinder engines assisted by hybrid technology. According to rumors, BMW is producing engines with lighter components to increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. These are just the first spy images of the new X3 that we’ve seen, but we anticipate seeing some electrified variants, from plug-in hybrids to fully electrics, in the near future.
The new X3 appears to have larger kidney grilles in terms of appearance, but not like the current 4 Series. The X3’s nostrils will square off rather than protrude vertically, possibly making them appear less problematic. Most noticeably, the bottom grille is now divided in half, indicating that starting in 2025, a new course would be adopted. The headlights on these prototypes will undoubtedly resemble those of the recently unveiled 2023 X1, even if all of the light housings are preliminary and susceptible to change before production. This mid-range automobile will not have the split headlight style found on super-luxury cars like the X7 and 7 Series.
More spy photos are anticipated in the upcoming months, but a complete revelation is probably still several years away.