The current BMW X3 (G01 generation) has been around since 2017. It received a facelift in 2021 and refreshed M variants the same year. But we knew it was a matter of time before BMW’s best-selling SUV underwent a more significant makeover. According to BMW, that will happen next year.
The automaker announced in a press release that “the next-generation BMW X3 will be made in South Africa as a plug-in hybrid for global export” beginning in 2024. Plant Rosslyn, which has built 1.6 million vehicles since opening in 1968, will receive a significant $218 million (€200 million) investment toward electrification.
BMW didn’t offer further details regarding the new X3, but we’ve seen prototypes testing as early as last year. Spy photos show a similar but larger shape to the current model (potentially like the rendering pictured above), with evidence of a more chiseled fascia, a screen-heavy interior, and hotter M variants. There’s even footage of a few prototypes testing around the Nurburgring.
The new plug-in-hybrid model will mark the return of the PHEV after being dropped in 2021. The previous version only offered 18 miles of electric range, pairing a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a single electric motor for a total combined output of 288 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. All evidence suggests the next plug-in X3 will be more powerful and deliver better range; the current X5 PHEV, for example, has 40 miles of EV range.
A new-and-improved BMW iX3 will also join the X3 lineup, but it won’t use the same CLAR architecture found underneath the current model. The new iX3 will adopt BMW’s dedicated Neue Klasse EV architecture instead of ICE bones. There are even rumors of high-performance, quad-motor BMW iX3M as well.
More details will be released on the next BMW X3 closer to a release date. The new SUV should debut early next year before going on sale later in 2024.
