In case you haven’t noticed, the new BMW X3 has a streamlined lineup. We’re not just talking about the M40d being eliminated from the range. Only xDrive versions are available, so we decided to ask BMW whether the rear-wheel drive will return. In a statement to BMWBLOG, a spokesperson told us the sDrive flavors are indeed dead for good.
If you fire up the US configurator, it still shows the old X3 (“G01”) and its sDrive30i base model. In other markets, BMW also sold the previous-generation model as the sDrive20i and the sDrive18d. They’re all gone now, with the “G45” to be offered strictly with xDrive. Other models that won’t return will be the fully electric iX3 and the X3 M. Both will transition from CLAR to Neue Klasse, with the former coming in the second half of 2025. The latter is unlikely to debut before 2027.
The death of the rear-wheel-drive X3 follows other models that have eschewed the once-traditional BMW layout. The 1 Series and X1 have been sending power to the front wheels for many years. The X2 and 2 Series Active Tourer have had an FWD setup since day one. While the quirky i3 had a RWD setup, its replacement might not. The rumored i1 electric city car could adopt a front-mounted motor when it arrives later this decade.
Elsewhere, the Z4 and 8 Series are reportedly going away without direct replacements. That would mean BMW will be left without four RWD cars in a couple of years from now. With the new wave of EVs brought by the Neue Klasse, the German brand will likely focus on RWD and AWD. Concomitantly, there are also plans for more CLAR-based electric vehicles. Expect to see an iX5, iX6, and iX7 later this decade, most likely with xDrive.
By the end of the decade, the BMW Group believes annual sales will be split evenly between ICE and EV cars. That would be a major change compared to 2023 when only 14.7% of vehicles didn’t have a combustion engine.
