Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Sometime in 2017, BMW will take the veils off an all-new X3. The second generation is a tough act to follow, but the upcoming model will do it effortlessly.
Internally known as the G01, the 2017 BMW X3 has been spied recently inside & out by our talented carparazzi team. The half analogue and half digital instrument cluster, free-floating touchscreen infotainment display, and latest iDrive are the name of the game as far as the interior is concerned.
On the outside, the compact crossover retains the shape we all know and love. Look closer and you’ll also see that the X3 will grow in size and will benefit from a dynamic stance. Minus the two exhaust tips, the spied mule appears to be a no-frills X3, barren of M Performance or other appearance-enhancing goodies.
It’s worth mentioning that the G01 X3 has longer rear doors and rear quarter windows. This detail suggests the CLAR platform upon which it rides prides itself on a longer wheelbase than the 2,810 mm (110.6 inches) of the current model. The less raked rear window, on the other hand, is a tell-tale sign that BMW is gunning for more luggage capacity over the current model.
The same platform will underpin the next-generation BMW X4, which is expected to debut sometime in the 2018 calendar year. On the mechanical front, four- and six-cylinder turbocharged engines will take care of propulsion. Cog swapping will be handled by a six-speed manual in less powerful models. BMW has expressed skepticism at the ZF 9-speed automatic transmission, so the 8-speed rower we’re familiar with will most likely soldier on in the G01 X3.
A go-faster turbo diesel X3 is in the cards, as is a plug-in hybrid (tentatively named X3 xDrive35e) and a full-blown X3 M. The latter is expected to churn out up to 500 horsepower from a water-injected and force-fed straight-six.
On the outside, the compact crossover retains the shape we all know and love. Look closer and you’ll also see that the X3 will grow in size and will benefit from a dynamic stance. Minus the two exhaust tips, the spied mule appears to be a no-frills X3, barren of M Performance or other appearance-enhancing goodies.
It’s worth mentioning that the G01 X3 has longer rear doors and rear quarter windows. This detail suggests the CLAR platform upon which it rides prides itself on a longer wheelbase than the 2,810 mm (110.6 inches) of the current model. The less raked rear window, on the other hand, is a tell-tale sign that BMW is gunning for more luggage capacity over the current model.
The same platform will underpin the next-generation BMW X4, which is expected to debut sometime in the 2018 calendar year. On the mechanical front, four- and six-cylinder turbocharged engines will take care of propulsion. Cog swapping will be handled by a six-speed manual in less powerful models. BMW has expressed skepticism at the ZF 9-speed automatic transmission, so the 8-speed rower we’re familiar with will most likely soldier on in the G01 X3.
A go-faster turbo diesel X3 is in the cards, as is a plug-in hybrid (tentatively named X3 xDrive35e) and a full-blown X3 M. The latter is expected to churn out up to 500 horsepower from a water-injected and force-fed straight-six.
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