BMW still puts a six-cylinder engine in the X3, but not in the M variant. That’s because an actual X3 M is not on the agenda, leaving the M Performance flavor as the flagship. Replacing the old M40i, the M50 stars in a photo shoot from its launch in Poland. Yes, the “i” at the end of the name is gone. The same goes for all gasoline versions of the luxury crossover. The letter referenced injection, but going forward, the “i” will only be used for electric vehicles.
The 2025 BMW X3 M50 comes along with a fresh paint job. It’s called Dune Grey and is making its debut on the “G45.” The SUV’s evolutionary design is combined with a quad exhaust system, which is trickling down on M Performance cars. BMW’s latest Mercedes GLC rival looks all grown up and dare we say more sophisticated. A “coupe” derivative isn’t planned because the X4 will be dropped from the lineup.
The lineup is simplified even further considering the X3 M40d is gone as well. BMW is gradually saying goodbye to diesel M Performance cars. The M50d and M550d models are already a thing of the past, and the future doesn’t look good for the M340d/M440d cars either. However, this generation of the X3 will get a six-cylinder diesel engine next summer.
What the “G45” won’t get is another fully electric version. The CLAR-based iX3 is going away, with an all-new model coming in 2025 on the Neue Klasse platform. It’ll look substantially different inside and out courtesy of iDrive X and a fresh design language. Proportionally, we reckon the fully electric crossover won’t be the same as the regular X3 given the dedicated electric platform. We’re expecting shorter overhangs and a longer wheelbase from the future iX3.
BMW will kick off deliveries of the new X3 in the fourth quarter of the year. Customers from Europe and the United States will be the early adopters. The rest of the world will have to wait until 2025. The gasoline and diesel versions are going to be assembled in Spartanburg, South Carolina. As for the X3 30e xDrive plug-in hybrid, it’ll be exclusively manufactured at Plant Rosslyn in South Africa.
Source: BMW
