Update: ‘New Nomenclature,’ ‘Interior & Features,’ ‘Release Date,’ and ‘Production’ sections and ‘Mild Hybrid’ sub-section of ‘Specifications’ updated.
Later this year, the all-new, fourth-generation BMW X3 will replace the current model introduced back in June 2017. The company is likely to offer multiple hybrid powertrains in the redesign, expecting a greater shift towards electrification this decade. The next-gen model is expected to arrive as the 2025 BMW X3 in the U.S. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming hybrid SUV so far:
New nomenclature
BMWBlog has learned from sources that the gas-engined BMW X3 will not have the ‘i’ in the variant nomenclature. To minimize confusion, BMW is reportedly reserving the ‘i’ designation for all-electric models.
According to a report BMWBlog published on March 4, 2024, the next-gen BMW X3 range will consist of xDrive20, xDrive20d, xDrive30, xDrive30e, and M50 variants. It doesn’t say these would be the only available variants globally, though, leaving the possibility for more configurations open. For instance, European publications claim an X3 M40d variant could also be part of the line-up.
Design
Front
Spy pictures indicate that the 2025 BMW X3 Hybrid will feature an evolutionary design. The next-generation model appears to have distinctive updates, such as sleeker, swept-back headlamps and a provision for a taller kidney grille. The Daytime Running Lights look similar to those of the facelifted seventh-gen 5 Series (G30). Each headlamp has two L-shaped, nearly vertical light tubes positioned next to one another, as observed in more recent spy media.
Side
Spy media have also confirmed the fitment of flush-fitting door handles on the next-gen BMW X3 plug-in hybrid. Moreover, they suggest that the all-new PHEV model will have a charge port securely located under a flap on the front left side wall. It remains unclear whether the redesigned X3 will include DC fast-charging capability, a rarity in the world of PHEVs. Currently, the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover are among the few PHEVs that offer this convenience.
Rear
At the rear, we expect the fully redesigned X3 to feature completely new combination lamps that create an X motif, a design cue inspired by the new X5. Overall, the revisions appear to be influenced by the third-generation BMW X1, although they will be adapted to complement the larger dimensions of the X3. Consequently, the redesigned SUV should exude a greater sense of confidence and expressiveness.
Video Source: YouTube/CarSpyMedia
The next iteration of the X3 will be bigger than today’s model. The increase in size should present the SUV with more road presence. The clip above shows a camouflaged test mule of the gas-powered M50 variant, which we expect to be a popular choice among individual customers in the U.S., being put through its paces on the Nürburgring race track. Traditional halogen bulbs for the headlight and quad exhaust tailpipes adorn the prototype. That said, the production version should come with modern full-LED headlights and dual exhaust tailpipes.
Spotted in California
BMW is making progress in its global testing phase for the upcoming X3, and prototypes have been sighted in California since mid-2023. The first instance was from Christopher of BMWBlog.com in June 2023, and then in October 2023, the Instagram channel kindelauto featured a prototype with California plates. The test mule was thickly camouflaged and featured dummy body panels, effectively masking the design specifics of the future mid-size SUV.
Interior & Features
The interior of the 2025 BMW X3 Hybrid will have a visibly cleaner and more elegant design. Spy shots have shown it featuring a cockpit area similar to the BMW i5, with the same kind of flat-bottomed steering wheel and curved screens. The center console also has elements shared with the electric sedan, including glass-covered gear selector switch and iDrive Controller.
We’re confident that the 2025 X3 Hybrid will feature the BMW Curved Display, incorporating the ninth-gen BMW iDrive control system based on BMW OS 9. Consisting of a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch control display merged behind a glass surface that’s angled towards the driver in a signature BMW fashion, the BMW Curved Display should be a standard feature in the next-gen X3.
Bimmerpost forum member ynguldyn suggests the next-gen X3 will be more premium than the current model. Standard Comfort Access (passive keyless entry), ‘Iconic Glow’ exterior, more sophisticated interior materials, ADAS functions matching the current X5, and iDrive 9 will make it a more attractive package than the current X3. It seems like BMW will throw everything at the gas-powered X3’s final generation to make the most of its sales potential. A sporty X3 M50i variant will pack M Sport suspension, distinctive wheels, and M parts as standard. An adaptive suspension will be optional on this variant.
The 2025 X3’s increased dimensions will also result in a larger boot, currently at 28.7 cubic feet (813 liters).
Specifications
Platform & Body
The 2025 BMW X3 Hybrid will be based on an improved version of the current CLAR (Cluster Architecture) platform. In an effort to reduce CO2 emissions in the supply chain, BMW Group plans to start sourcing sustainably produced aluminum from Rio Tinto’s hydro-powered operations in Canada by the end of 2024. Producing aluminum can lead to a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to conventional manufacturing. BMW plans to use this aluminum exclusively in body components of vehicles at its Spartanburg plant. Thus, the next-gen X3’s hood, for instance, could be made of sustainably produced aluminum.
Mild Hybrid
Expect the 2025 X3 range to start with the xDrive20 with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Meanwhile, the xDrive20d with the same 48-volt mild-hybrid system would be on sale in some markets.
As per a report BMW Blog report dated February 19, 2024, higher up the range should be the X3 M50 with its 3.0-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine and mild-hybrid technology making 392 horsepower. Of course, this would be a cleaner engine that can meet the stricter Euro 7 emission norms that takes effect next year. Auto Express mentions that the 3.0-liter model will come under the ‘M Performance’ umbrella.
Plug-in Hybrid
Spy pictures have already revealed that the company is developing a 2025 BMW X3 plug-in hybrid alongside other variants. While the current X3 PHEV comes in an xDrive30e AWD variant, the next-gen model will reportedly have three different variants, probably one RWD and two AWD models. At least one could achieve a pure-electric range of 100 km (62 miles) on the WLTP cycle.
Electric
The new all-electric version of the X3 (2025 BMW iX3) will be an entirely different vehicle, riding on the Die Neue Klasse platform that is designed to underpin EVs. Official teaser images of the first Neue Klasse car show the camouflaged SUV with different proportions compared to the thermal-engined X3.
Release Date
According to the BMWBlog report dated March 4, 2024, the next-gen 2025 BMW X3 will debut in June 2024 and arrive in the U.S. in xDrive30 and M50 variants. We expect the first units of the redesigned SUV to hit U.S. dealerships in late 2024, while the new all-electric iX3 would arrive in 2025.
BMW Group hasn’t confirmed the plug-in hybrid variant for the U.S. The company discontinued the X3 PHEV at the end of the 2021 model year, creating uncertainty about its potential return in the future. The aforementioned BMWBlog report claims that a plug-in hybrid variant won’t be available in the U.S. Considering PHEVs’ growing popularity in the U.S. and their practicality as an alternative to EVs, especially with the expected superb EV mode range, the absence of the X3 plug-in hybrid variant is strange.
The U.S. is one of the biggest markets for the X3. In 2023, BMW sold 63,172 X3s in the U.S., and although that marked a 4% decline from 2022 (65,799 units), it was still a substantial volume. The mid-size SUV was the second-highest-selling BMW in our market in 2023. With the upcoming redesign, it may surpass the record-breaking 2021 figure of nearly 76,000 units at some point during its lifecycle.
Production
BMW Group has confirmed that the next-gen BMW X3 plug-in hybrid will enter production in 2024. In an announcement on June 29, 2023, the company said that it will manufacture the next-gen X3 PHEV for global export in Rosslyn, South Africa. BMW Group started making the X3 at this plant, which is its first foreign facility worldwide, from the third generation in April 2018. On its South African website, BMW Group says it exports more than 90% of the X3s produced, predominantly to Europe.
With the plug-in hybrid variant not planned for the U.S., all the next-gen X3 units sold in the U.S. would come from the local plant located in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
TopElectricSUV says
The next-gen BMW X3 Hybrid would be a more refined and cleaner luxury mid-size SUV with an evolutionary design, more premium features, improved standard equipment, and enhanced engines. An important upgrade in the redesigned model would be the significantly better plug-in hybrid technology that makes it usable as an EV for long distances on a full charge.
Featured Image Source: Instagram/Germany’s Finest
I got my Master’s in Business Management & Administration and have been an International Automotive News Editor since 2014. I’ve traveled to global motor shows and automotive events, driven various types of vehicles, and focused on hybrid and electric cars in the last 4 years.
