The 2025 BMW X3 has officially landed.
Following up its smaller SUV revamps with the X1 and X2, the 2025 BMW X3 hits the scene with some bold new styling. On the base X3 30 xDrive (yes, BMW’s changing up their naming scheme again, moving the number and dropping ‘i’ from its gas-powered models), the front end gets an interesting take on your conventional kidney grille. Apart from the new exterior design, the 2025 BMW X3 lineup also gets more technology, as you’d expect, as well as updated engines and a fresh interior.
What we’re seeing today are two launch trims, in the X3 30 and the X3 M50 xDrive variants.
The 30 gets both vertical and diagonal slats on its grille, while the M50 gets horizonal slats and blacked-out trim, if you’re looking to tell them apart. (The M50 also gets quad exhaust pipes out back — more on that in a moment).
Both X3s on display here today also get BMW’s latest styling elements we’ve seen in the smaller SUVs, including new signature daytime running lights and flush door handles. Overall, the look is fairly simple design without a bewildering number of character lines competing for your attention. That is, until you get around back, where the thin LED taillights and concave tailgate make it look distinctive against the likes of the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.
Wheel options are also new with this latest X3, ranging from 19 to 21 inches depending on the model. That may be inordinately large compared to “compact” models of yesteryear, as the original X3 rode on 17s, but for better or worse, fitting smaller wheels just looks off with these longer, wider models.
To wit, the 2025 BMW X3 follows the trend for a new-generation SUV, in that it’s 1.3 inches longer and 1.1 inches wider than before. However, it’s also an inch lower in height, as it’s all about giving these all-purpose cars a more aggressive and “sporty” stance, if you can ever cope with calling such a vehicle sporty against, say, a small sports car. Hey, at least BMW still makes one of those too, right?
Refined, mild hybrid powertrains are the way forward here
Whatever you think of BMW’s styling direction, both the X3 30 xDrive and M50 xDrive see good news across the board by way of punchier powertrains. The entry-level model gets a heavily reworked version of the company’s B48 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. It uses the Miller cycle with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology baked in, and gets new intake ports, combustion chambers, ignition and injection systems, revamped variable valve timing and an improved turbocharger and intercooler setup. The upshot is 7 additional horsepower and 37 lb-ft of torque, boosting the total output up to 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft, respectively. BMW estimates this X3 30 will hit the 60 mph mark in about 6.0 seconds, same as before, but it may be a little more efficient this time around. EPA figures still haven’t been published.
As for the X3 M50, you get a comprehensively overhauled version of the B58 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six (called B58B30M2). Again, it gets redesigned intakes and combustion chamber geometry, as well as changes to the injection, ignition and exhaust systems. The M-specific highlights include a new crankshaft drive, optimized oil supply to the pistons to improve cooling, new main bearing shells and caps and tweaked camshaft timing. Again, the end result is more power: 393 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque (up 9 hp and 59 lb-ft, respectively). The 0-60 time, like the previous X3 M40i xDrive, is 4.4 seconds.
How each car goes about integrating the mild-hybrid system is a little bit different, too.
The M50 puts the electric starter-generator motor with the 8-speed automatic transmission, whereas it’s a belt-driven setup on the X3 30 xDrive. On both models, though, BMW says it’s widened the track, improved rigidity and tweaked the front and rear axles to make them more stable and more agile while cornering. We’ll have to test that out when we drive the cars ourselves, which should be sometime in the coming months. The X3 30 gets an optional M Sport package to improve the steering and brakes, while Dynamic Damper Control is also an option. The M50 gets its own version of the package that includes adaptive damper control, 20-inch wheels, upgraded sport steering and brakes and an M Sport differential.
What about the interior changes?
If we’re talking “bold”, though, BMW certainly made some decisive moves with the 2025 X3’s interior. It’s far more minimalist than past BMWs with the switchgear, while the M50 even gets appropriate blue and red contrasting light elements that give it more flair, to say nothing of the flat-bottom steering wheel or the shift paddles. The HVAC vents are well hidden within the instrument panel, while all your gauge cluster and infotainment is available through a curved display sitting atop the dashboard. BMW notes this system runs iDrive 9, which keeps it in step with the X1 and X2.
If you’re confused about the different versions I certainly don’t blame you, but the gist of the updates for the latest operating system is to gear controls “more consistently” toward touch display and natural language so you can more effectively tell the car what to do with climate or media controls, for example.
Driver assistance also gets an upgrade on the 2025 BMW X3 lineup.
There’s a new navigation system baked in, while buyers even get the “AirConsole” system to play games when the car is parked. Parking Assist is more advanced and allows you to make parking maneuvers (with up to 10 maneuvers with a total length of up to 650 yards using GPS data) while outside the car, and BMW’s own voice assistant should be better this time around, dove-tailing with the operating system updates. Parking Assistant is a standard feature, but the “Parking Assistant Professional with Maneuver Assistant” is on the options list.
Pricing for the 2025 BMW X3 30 xDrive starts at $50,675, including destination. The M50 xDrive starts at $65,275, meaning both versions are up about $3,000 from their outgoing 2024 counterparts, the xDrive40i and the M40i xDrive. BMW will kick off production of the new X3 at its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant in the fourth quarter of 2024, with the first deliveries to follow.
