BMW has just launched three variants of the fourth-generation X3, its best-selling vehicle in USA.

Joining the range now is the 30e x Drive plug-in hybrid (PHEV), bringing the total X3 lineup to three variants. It’s an updated version of the car that was initially launched in Europe last year, as it can now charge its 19.7kWh lithium-ion battery at up to 11kW (the pre-update was 7.4kW).

We got the opportunity to sample all three versions of the fourth-generation BMW X3 at a media launch drive, leaving from Melbourne down the Mornington Peninsula. Read on to find out more.

Now the X3 range has been joined by the 30th xDrive Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), bringing the total number of X3 models to three. This is an updated version of the car that was first launched in Europe last year. It now has a 19.7 kWh lithium-ion battery that can charge at up to 11 kW (up from 7.4 kW in the previous update).

We had the opportunity to attend the media launch drive, where we drove from Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula and got to test drive all three versions of the fourth-generation BMW X3. Read on to find out more.

How much does the 2025 BMW X3 cost?

Pricing for the entry-level X3 20 xDrive and flagship X3 M50 xDrive went up $1500 and $2000, respectively, when the X3 30e xDrive PHEV was added to the range in November last year.

Model	Price before on-roads
2025 BMW X3 20 xDrive	$86,100
2025 BMW X3 30e xDrive	$102,500
2025 BMW X3 M50 xDrive	$128,900

What is the 2025 BMW X3 like on the inside?

Like many crossover SUVs, the X3’s cabin is easy to get into. You can see why many people with mobility issues prefer this type of car, as you don’t have to climb in or out of the cabin, but you can simply step inside and get in.

Once inside, the driver’s seat is extremely comfortable. There are many power adjustments, such as thigh support, extendable seat cushions, and lumbar support, etc. This means that people of all sizes and heights will be able to find their preferred seating position.

There are also a variety of upholstery options, including a Veganza leatherette option, a combination of Alcantara and Veganza, and a Merino leather option. The latter is an additional $4,000. It hurts a little…

My favorite is the BMW Individual Merino Leather in Amber/Atlas Grey, which is a bright light brown that almost veers towards orange, mixed with grey accents. There’s also an Espresso Brown Veganza option, which is a close second. These look really cool and are a nice alternative to the boring black.

In front of the driver is a thick, flat-bottomed M Sport steering wheel, which almost feels too thick. This is typical of BMW steering wheels.

The wheel design looks and feels sporty, and the 12-hour marker on the flagship M50 xDrive is a special touch.

I like the physical buttons and scroll wheel on the steering wheel, but since they’re on a glossy piano black finished panel, they get dirty quickly. This is disappointing for a premium car, as you’ll be interacting with the steering wheel buttons so often.

Behind the steering wheel is the heart of the new X3’s interior – a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which are combined into a curved display. It runs BMW’s iDrive 9.0 operating system, which is based on Android.

Atop the dashboard is a head-up display, which is large and has many configurations. It’s great to see important information like your current speed at a glance, but it can sometimes be a bit distracting due to other elements. Fortunately, you can opt for a minimal layout if you want.

Coming back to the digital instrument cluster, it looks extremely clean and bright. It can be customized in a variety of ways, from the layout to the widgets.

Meanwhile, the 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system is truly massive. The left side of the screen requires some reaching from the driver’s seat, and sometimes I had to get out of my seat to use it.

Fortunately, there’s a rotary iDrive controller on the center console, which provides an additional way to interact with the touchscreen. This is the first time the iDrive controller has been integrated with the BMW iDrive 9.0 operating system.

Dimensions	BMW X3
Length	4755mm
Width	1920mm
Height	1660mm
Wheelbase	2865mm
Cargo capacity	20 xDrive & M50 xDrive 570L (5 seats) 1700L (2 seats) 30e xDrive 460L (5 seats) 1600L (2 seats)

What’s under the bonnet?

There are currently three electrified turbo-petrol powertrains available.

Specifications	X3 20 xDrive	X3 30e xDrive	X3 M50 xDrive
Engine	2.0L 4cyl turbo-petrol 48V MHEV	2.0L 4cyl turbo-petrol PHEV	3.0L 6cyl turbo-petrol 48V MHEV
Engine outputs	140kW/310Nm	140kW/310Nm	280kW/540Nm
Electric motor outputs	8kW/25Nm	135kW/250Nm	13kW/200Nm
System outputs	140kW/310Nm	220kW/450Nm	293kW/580Nm
Battery	0.9kW li-ion	19.7kWh li-ion	0.9kWh li-ion
Transmission	8-speed auto	8-speed auto	8-speed auto
Drive type	AWD	AWD	AWD
Weight (kerb)	1855kg	2065kg	1980kg
0-100km/h (claimed)	8.5 seconds	6.2 seconds	4.6 seconds
Fuel economy (claimed)	7.5L/100km	1.6L/100km	8.2L/100km
Electric driving range (PHEV)	–	91km (ADR)	–
Fuel tank capacity	65L	50L	65L
Fuel requirement	95 octane premium unleaded	95 octane premium unleaded	98 octane premium unleaded
CO2 emissions	171g/km	38g/km	187g/km
Emissions standard	Euro 6	Euro 6	Euro 6
Braked tow capacity	2200kg	2000kg	2200kg

How does the 2025 BMW X3 drive?

The first X3 I drove was the flagship M50 xDrive, so it felt like I was starting with dessert. Even better, it was in Tanzanite Blue metallic paint and optional Amber/Atlas Grey Merino leather. Ah, ah, and ah.

It has a kind of buzz that can be heard inside and out. There doesn’t seem to be much artificial engine noise here.

The information is immediately noticeable in how easy the car is to drive. The inline-six engine has so much power and torque that it easily handles everyday traffic. It changes gears very quickly to keep revs low and fuel consumption to a minimum.

Speaking of fuel consumption, both the X3 M50 xDrive and the 20 xDrive have a 48V mild-hybrid system. It’s a great system that allows the small electric motor to take some of the load off the petrol engine.

It also helps the engine idle stop-start more smoothly, and the engine shuts off when coasting. In fact, you can’t even feel the engine turning off and on, which is rare for mild-hybrids.

As a driving package, the X3 M50 xDrive is a real performance world. This mild-hybrid inline-six engine is a very charismatic, powerful package that just keeps pulling. Since it’s paired with the xDrive system, if you’re into traffic light grand prix racing, this is for you.

When you get up into the rev range, the engine sound is incredible and addictive. I often held down the left paddle shifter to put the car in ‘Boost’ mode. After activating it, the car goes into its sportiest mode, and the gear shifts feel more intense, almost like whiplash.

As powerful as this car is in a straight line, it’s also very agile and characterful in the corners. Its steering is direct, if a little stiff, and it rides exceptionally well, even though it comes with standard 21-inch alloy wheels. But it does have its downsides, such as a bit more road and tire noise.

There’s also so much grip, thanks to the xDrive system and rear locking differential. It’s incredible how quickly you can go into tight turns. You’ll have no trouble finding traction here.

Coming off the X3 M50 xDrive, next up was the entry-level X3 20 xDrive, which was a completely different feel.

The first thing I noticed was how quiet and refined the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine is, even when it’s revved up a bit. You often can’t even feel the engine working.

If you engage the car’s ‘Boost’ mode, the engine definitely makes its presence known. Its sound isn’t the most pleasant or satisfying, which is a stark contrast to the inline-six engine in the M50 xDrive. There were a few times I actually felt sorry for the 20 xDrive, as you can tell it prefers a quieter throttle input.

Despite this, the four-cylinder petrol engine is still plenty powerful. It probably doesn’t need much more than that in everyday driving.

The X3 20 xDrive is still quite nimble and playful to drive. In fact, compared to the M50 xDrive, it still feels lighter at the front end, which is fun to play with in twisties.

The steering feels quite light, and the adaptive suspension isn’t overly harsh on single bumps. This is largely due to the smaller alloy wheels.

The last X3 variant I got to drive at the launch event was the 30e xDrive PHEV, a new addition to the series. Of the three variants, it felt like the cutest duck, but that could also be due to how I experienced it.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t drive the car with much battery charge, so it basically went into hybrid mode. But there were times when the car would go into EV mode, and it was so quiet. Usually this happened at low speeds or when going down hills.

If you have a full charge, BMW claims that the X3 30e xDrive can go up to 91 km on a single charge, which is based on ADR testing, which is based on the NEDC protocol. However, BMW officials say that in the real world it’s around 80 km, but we haven’t verified that yet.

You can’t feel the petrol engine in this car when it’s engaged, but you can hear it. Compared to the 20 xDrive, which has the same base petrol engine, it feels like it’s working a lot more at times. Especially when you’re going up hills and the battery charge is low.

Despite this, the 30e xDrive is not slow at all. If you press the accelerator hard, the electric motor helps with progress. There is also a ‘Boost’ mode, like the other X3s.

Although the X3’s platform can turn nicely in corners, the extra components and extra weight are clearly felt in the 30e xDrive. It’s still fun to drive, but the dynamics of mild-hybrids are more fun.

Finally, in terms of safety, all BMW X3 variants are fully loaded, as they should be for a car of this price.

The adaptive cruise control is excellent and, frankly, a benchmark. The way it manages the distance between the car in front is very natural. When a car in front of you comes in, it doesn’t overreact.

However, it is still a bit annoying that you have to adjust the distance settings of the adaptive cruise in depth in the touchscreen sub-menu.

The car’s lane-keeping system is non-intrusive and only intervenes when it’s really needed, and its lane-centering function, which works with the adaptive cruise control, is excellent and reduces driver fatigue on long journeys.

It also has an assisted lane change function, which is a bit aggressive in my opinion, but it works like a charm to make monotonous freeway journeys easier.

What do you get?

There are three variants of the 2025 BMW X3 on offer.

2025 BMW X3 20 xDrive highlights:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Run-flat tyres
• M Sport package
• Adaptive suspension
• Adaptive LED headlights
• BMW Iconic Glow illuminated kidney grille
• Acoustic glazing
• Power tailgate
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring Operating System 9
• BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant
• BMW Digital Premium (90-day trial)
• Remote software updates
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• Six-speaker sound system
• Wireless phone charger
• Head-up display
• Tri-zone climate control
• Anti-dazzle exterior and interior mirrors
• Comfort Access and Digital Key Plus
• M Sport leather steering wheel
• Anthracite M headliner
• Veganza upholstery
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Heated front seats

X3 30e xDrive adds:

• Fixed panoramic glass sunroof
• Roller blinds for rear side windows
• Heated steering wheel
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated outboard rear seats

X3 M50 xDrive adds:

• 21-inch alloy wheels
• Metallic paint
• M-specific kidney, mirror caps and aerodynamic elements
• Quad exhaust outlets
• M Sport Pro package
• M braking system with red calipers
• Privacy glass
• M Shadowline headlights and extended contents
• 15-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system
• M seatbelts

Optional Equipment

The $6000 ($4800 w/ Alpine White paint) Enhancement package for the X3 20 xDrive adds:

• Metallic paint
• Alarm system
• Panoramic glass sunroof
• 15-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system

This same package is also available on the X3 30e xDrive, sans the panoramic glass roof already standard on that model, for $4000.

The $4000 Comfort package for the X3 20 xDrive adds:

• Heated outboard rear seats
• Roller blinds for rear side windows
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Privacy glass
• Luggage compartment separating net

The M Sport Pro package for the ($3000 for X3 20 xDrive; $2000 for X3 30e xDrive) adds:

• High-gloss Shadowline with extended contents
  • Radiator grille frame and struts
  • Tail light trim detailing
  • Tailpipe trims
• M Lights Shadow Line
• M Sport brakes with red calipers (blue also available)
• M seatbelts

A trailer tow hitch is available as a single option for the X3 range at $2200. Regardless of the variant, it has a maximum braked towing capacity of 2200kg (2000kg for 30e xDrive).

There are also optional alloy wheels, upholstery finishes, and interior trims. A new knitted texture on the instrument panel can be optioned for $1200, while Merino leather upholstery is $4000.

Is the BMW X3 safe?

The 2025 BMW X3 hasn’t been crash-tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP yet.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane departure warning
• Steering and Lane Control Assistant
• Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
• Surround-view camera
• Parking assistant
• Reverse Assistant
• Drive recorder
• Tyre pressure monitoring system

How much does the BMW X3 cost to run?

Servicing and Warranty	BMW X3
Warranty	5 years, unlimited kilometres
Roadside assistance	3 years
Service intervals	12 months, 15,000km
Pre-paid service package	5 years, 80,000km – $2475 (Service Inclusive Basic)

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