Yahoo Autos The New Fourth-Generation BMW X3 Is The Weirdest-Looking One Yet
It’s been more than 20 years since the original BMW X3 debuted, and the compact crossover is now entering its fourth generation. The 2025 BMW X3 goes even stranger with the styling, in a way that I love but I’m sure many of you will hate, and it’s now exclusively powered by hybrid engines. On the inside there’s even more funky styling and a new infotainment system, all for a price only slightly higher than before.
Like the outgoing model, the 2025 X3 rides on BMW’s modular CLAR platform. Compared to the old model it has grown by 1.3 inches in length and 1.1 inches in width, and it’s an inch lower to the ground and has a wider track, but overall proportions haven’t changed much. BMW says the body-in-white is more rigid, and revised suspension gives it better cornering precision.
The bluff nose has two large kidney grilles with angled slats that I think suits the car nicely, and the grille borders are illuminated as an option. I love how the pointy headlights meet the kidneys, and the LED internals are made of overlapping L shapes. The front bumper is refreshingly simple, with small vertical intakes and a subtle skid plate–esque trim piece; even the M Sport package doesn’t go crazy with black trim and big openings.
A slick character line runs along the body, following the lower window line that kicks up into a dramatic Hofmeister Kink at the D-pillar. Gone is any black plastic trim around the wheel arches, with the fender flares instead getting prominent creases that emphasize the width and give the X3 a strong stance. 19-inch wheels are standard, while 20s and 21s are optional. The rear end is also fairly simple, with a nicely scooped-out tailgate, a low license plate placement, T-shaped taillights and minimal black trim. Exhaust tips on the normal models are now hidden behind the skid plate element.
Step inside and you’re greeted by a super angular design that I think looks awesome. Like other new BMWs, the interior prominently features a large curved display and has the Interaction Bar beneath it, which uses different lights, colors and animations to provide the driver with feedback and information. Triangular pieces on the doors also have an illuminated surround, housing climate vent controls, lock buttons and the door handle, and the big storage space and charging pad in the center console also has a strip of light surrounding it.
The X3 uses BMW’s new Operating System 9, which is now Android-based. There’s still an iDrive knob, but other than a couple of buttons for quick shortcuts, basically everything is done using the infotainment system, climate controls included. The cloud-based BMW Maps navigation has an augmented-reality function along with 3D maps and a satellite view. BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant is present, and the system has a long list of apps for media streaming, gaming and other things. A head-up display is now available, too. Of course, there will be over-the-air updates as well.
An optional woven fabric made from recycled polyester can cover the dashboard and door panels; its knitted texture adds some nice visual flair and is much more interesting than the normal faux-leather grain you get in most cars. Heated seats covered in Perforated Veganza is standard, and you can get Alcantara or Merino leather upholstery too. Luggage space is up by a few cubic feet, but BMW hasn’t said if there have been improvements to passenger space.
The entry-level model is the X3 30 xDrive — BMW is dropping the “i” from its model names. It’s powered by a B48 turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 that now uses a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and pumps out 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, increases of 7 hp and 37 lb-ft, though its 6.0-second 0-to-60-mph time stays the same. The blue X3 in these photos is actually a Euro-spec plug-in hybrid, which should come to the U.S. after launch.
Step up to the X3 M50 xDrive and you get the B58 turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6, also now with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The M50 makes 393 hp and 428 lb-ft, up by 11 hp and 59 lb-ft compared to the old M40i, though its 4.4-second 0-to-60 time is also the same. In addition to the engine, quad tailpipes and other unique styling cues, the M50 comes standard with larger brakes, 20-inch wheels, adaptive suspension with electronically controlled dampers, variable-ratio sport steering, and an M Sport rear-axle differential.
The new X3 is set to enter production in South Carolina at the end of this year, and BMW says the Spartanburg plant will be able to produce more than 15 different BMW Individual paint finishes for the first time. The X3 30 xDrive will start at $50,675 (including $1,175 for destination), an increase of just $780, while the $65,275 M50 is $2,380 more than the model it replaces.
As for the fully electric iX3, which is currently just an electric version of the normal X3, it will be succeeded by a new model in the Neue Klasse family. Previewed earlier this year by the Vision Neue Klasse X concept, the new iX3 will debut at some point in the next year, riding on a dedicated EV platform.
