Spy Shots – BMW X3

The six-year-old BMW X3 is getting ready to be phased off and replaced by an entirely new generation. The Munich auto marque has been testing it in different environments for quite some time, and the latest encounter with a prototype took place in the open somewhere in Germany. It’s the first time we get to see the new X3 with the production lights mounted

Other highlights include the sizable air intake in the front bumper, two smaller ones to the sides, a more upright grille, a slightly more arched roofline, albeit not that sloping as there will also be a new X4, flush-mounted door handles, and a large spoiler at the rear. The exhaust tips were tucked away under the new bumper, unlike one of the previous testers, which had four of them.

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In the cabin, the next-gen X3 will stick to a traditional recipe, unlike the one previewed by the Neue Klasse recently. BMW has already provided a glimpse of the interior, which is dominated by the curved display mixing the 14.9-inch infotainment system and 12.3-inch digital dials. The new steering wheel, with its flat-bottom design, was also visible, and the centre console hosted a minimalist gear shifter. Look for revised switchgear, new door cards, seats, and everything else, as this is, after all, a new generation of the premium compact crossover.

Speaking of which, it targets the likes of the Porsche Macan, Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC, and Alfa Romeo Stelvio. It will still feature internal combustion engines, and it has been reported that it will be the last of its kind fed by fossil fuels. The powertrain family will likely comprise four- and six-pots, with 2.0- and 3.0-litre displacements, respectively, joined by plug-in hybrids. An all-electric iX3 will join the lineup as the greenest of them all, and sitting at the very top, in terms of performance, will be the X3 M. There is no indication that this model won’t be offered anymore, though it will supposedly launch a few years after the normal variants break cover.

It is unknown yet when BMW will host the grand unveiling of the all-new X3, but it could debut in a few months. The vehicle is expected to hit the market either as a 2024 or a 2025 model.