The death of the M40d doesn’t spell the end for the six-cylinder X3 diesel after all. Although the oil-burner M Performance model is no more, the luxury crossover will get a bigger diesel in 2025. The four-cylinder 20d xDrive will be joined next summer by an inline-six diesel. It doesn’t have a name yet but it would make sense to call it the xDrive30d once again. Come to think of it, BMW has updated its nomenclature by doing a switcheroo, so it’ll likely be the 30d xDrive.

As with all the other four- and six-cylinder engines, the range-topping X3 diesel will have AWD and an eight-speed automatic transmission. BMW doesn’t go into any other details but logic tells us the “B57” will be mounted underneath the hood. In the previous-generation model, the 3.0-liter unit delivered 282 horsepower and an ample 650 Nm (480 lb-ft) of torque.

As to how much it’s going to cost, the six-cylinder X3 diesel will certainly command a significant premium over its four-pot sibling. The latter starts at €67,730 in Germany. The beefier diesel will be assembled in Spartanburg, South Carolina in the US along with the other traditionally powered models. The plug-in hybrid X3 30e xDrive is going to be built only in Rosslyn, South Africa.

The X3 30d xDrive or whatever name it will carry will mostly be a European affair. It comes somewhat as a surprise that BMW even bothers to put a six-cylinder diesel in the fourth-generation X3. Through May 2024, diesels had a market share of only 12.9% in new car registrations in Europe. That’s according to freshly published numbers by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). At 12.1%, EVs were nearly as popular.

Before the six-cylinder diesel X3 arrives, the others will go on sale in Europe and North America during the final quarter of 2024. The rest of the world is getting the “G45” from January 2025. With the latest generation, BMW has sunsetted rear-wheel-drive versions. Dropping RWD makes the X3 more expensive than before since the sDrive variants were positioned at the bottom of the range.

Source: BMW