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BMW is putting the finishing touches on the new X3, the fourth generation of its successful luxury crossover. The “G45” will be out later in 2024, and to ease the wait, official teaser images are now out. While the camouflage on the outside is hiding an evolutionary design, prepare for a revolution in the cabin.
These preview photos released by BMW show the fully redesigned cabin where iDrive 9 calls home. The outgoing X3 is one of the last models with the old infotainment system, so it makes sense to switch to the new setup. Elsewhere, that flat-bottomed steering wheel is taken from the 5 Series / i5 with the M Sport Package. The sporty wheel with M-colored stitching appears to have paddle shifters behind it.
Although the small gear selector is new to the X3 with combustion engines, the fully electric iX3 has had it since fall 2022. We’re glad to see the iDrive rotary knob is still there considering the smaller X1 and X2 no longer have it. The testing gear obstructs the view, and there’s a piece of cloth covering most of the dashboard. However, we can safely assume the center console has been simplified by eliminating most traditional buttons. A blue LED strip of ambient lighting is noticeable, likely as part of an Interaction Bar as seen on fancier BMWs.
If some of the materials look cheap, that’s to be expected from a prototype. Test vehicles generally have lesser-quality interiors than the vehicles sold to customers. With that in mind, it’s too early to judge the 2025 BMW X3’s cabin. It’s best to wait for the finished product before casting verdicts. BMW says the standard equipment will enable the Mercedes GLC competitor to excel in Euro NCAP crash tests.
It looks as though we’re dealing with an X3 in M Performance guise, judging by the M-specific side mirror caps. BMW is likely renaming the not-quite-X3 M from M40i to M50, without the “i” at the end. When we drove the prototype in France, company officials hinted at more power from the B58 engine. However, we’ll have to wait for the full reveal to learn about output figures.
BMW can’t take any risks with the X3 G45. Despite getting up there in age, the outgoing G01 was still the best-selling individual model in 2023. It racked up 350,000 sales, surpassing the 3 Series Sedan. The upcoming model is likely to bring incremental improvements by building on an already successful recipe.
The iX3 we mentioned earlier won’t switch to the next generation until 2025. However, since it’ll move from CLAR to Neue Klasse, it’ll have a vastly different interior. By adopting the iDrive X, it’s going to have a large central screen and a dashboard-wide head-up display. In addition, the next-gen electric X3 will do away with the iDrive controller. Expect even fewer conventional controls compared to the regular X3.
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