BMW’s next-generation X3 has been spotted testing once again.
The current X3 is one of the strongest in the segment, offering snappy performance, a nice interior, good features and reasonable value for money.
Due to arrive in showrooms in 2017, as a 2018 model, the new X3 will add technology, grow lighter, and likely offer more interior space.
That increase in space is likely to come from more efficient engineering and lighter-weight materials, brought about by the adoption of the carbon fiber-infused modular platform that debuted in the 2016 7-Series. The SUV version of the platform makes its debut in the new X3 and will also appear in a new X5 and a new X7.
Under the hood of the new X3, the engines are likely to be shared with the latest 3-Series, which means the vehicle will offer BMW's new B58 modular 3.0-liter inline-6 as well as 4-cylinder gasoline, diesel and plug-in hybrid options. There will also likely be an M Performance model wearing an "M40i" badge, just like the recently revealed X4 M40i.
Talk of an M division special—a true X3 M—has also persisted over the past several years. Whether BMW can justify the cost and likely cannibalization such a model would offer to the X5 M and X6 M is unclear. If it did happen, however, expect to see a wider, more aggressive body treatment and many of the parts from the current 425-hp M3/M4 line stuffed under the skin—in other words, one very fun crossover.
Stay tuned for more details as development of the 2018 BMW X3 continues.
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