[Omkar]

2025 BMW X3 Review

BMW X3 Pros

• A good-looking SUV with solid build quality
• Comfy interiors with supportive seats and good cabin space
• Competent and efficient petrol / diesel engines on offer. 8-speed ZF transmission is quick & smooth
• Mature ride quality is great for Indian roads. Adaptive suspension and tubeless tyres are big contributors
• Long feature list includes 15-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system, selfie camera, head-up display, ventilated seats, parking assistant, NFC card-style digital key, 3-zone climate control, augmented view navigation, etc.
• 8 airbags, dynamic stability control and a slew of safety features, as is expected from a luxury car

BMW X3 Cons

• 188 BHP petrol engine in a car that costs over 90 lakhs on-road is underwhelming
• Quality of some interior plastics is mediocre and not something you’d expect in a luxury car
• Not the most user-friendly touchscreen interface. Also, controls like HVAC and drive modes are integrated into the touchscreen, which isn’t ideal
• Back seat is more suitable for 2 healthy adults and a child. Not 3 healthy adults
• Missing features like Level 2 ADAS (gets some L1 features), electric adjustment for the steering wheel, full-size spare tyre (has a space saver tyre), etc.

Introduction

In recent times, we have seen the Rs. 1 crore price tag become more accessible in the Indian car market. No wonder the luxury carmakers have been clocking good numbers. When you look at the X3, it’s a global bestseller for BMW. In India, however, it has done just about okay. BMW plans to change that with this new generation car. The current segment favourite is the Mercedes GLC, and rightly so. It does a lot of things right and has some good engines under the bonnet. What does the BMW X3 have to draw some customers from its competition? We spent some time with the fourth-generation BMW X3 (G45) to find out.

BMW X3 Price & Brochure

BMW launched the X3 at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in January this year. It is offered only in the M Sport trim with two engine options – petrol (xDrive20) priced at Rs. 75.80 lakh and diesel (xDrive20d) priced at Rs. 77.80 lakh. The petrol version of the X3 is priced almost the same as the GLC 300. However, the Mercedes has a more powerful engine (68 BHP more). The diesel version of the X3 is Rs. 90,000 more expensive than the GLC. The Audi Q5 is the most affordable of the three, and a new generation of the is expected soon.

Talking about the X3 engines, the 2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine produces 188 BHP and 310 Nm and the 2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine develops 194 BHP and 400 Nm. These are the only two engine options at the moment. You no longer get the 30i version of the 2-litre petrol from the previous generation of the car (also currently available on the new 5-series) that used to make 248 BHP and 350 Nm. There are rumours that BMW might introduce a 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder engine at some point, but nothing has been confirmed. Underpinning the new X3, you have the same Cluster Architecture platform (CLAR) as the previous generation car. The X3 has grown in size, though. The new X3 measures 4,755 mm in length (+ 47 mm), 1,920 mm in width (+ 29 mm) and 1,660 mm in height (- 16 mm). The wheelbase is almost identical to the older car at 2,865 mm (+ 1 mm).

Deliveries of the X3 have commenced. The car comes with a standard warranty of 2 years and unlimited km. There are various options to extend the warranty up to 10 years, and we highly recommend that you do so.

You can download the BMW X3 brochure here - 2025 BMW X3 Brochure.pdf

[Omkar]

BMW X3 Exterior Review

With the new generation, you get a new face aligned with BMW’s new design philosophy. It’s aggressive and sleek, and the design is not as polarising as some of the other recent BMWs:


Big changes at the rear as well. The new X3 looks more like a hatchback than an SUV. Just like the front, the rear design is also conservative and wouldn’t offend a lot of people:


Viewed from the side, you can see the long bonnet at the front and the roof sloping down towards the rear:


Built on the same platform as the previous generation, the X3 has excellent build quality. The car looks good in this Black Sapphire Metallic paint. There are 3 more colour options – Dune Grey Metallic, Alpine White and Individual Tanzanite Blue Metallic:


The X3 measures 4,755 mm in length, 1,920 mm in width and 1,660 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,865 mm:


At the front, you have an illuminated kidney grille along with an M Sport bumper. The radiator grille also gets some nice detailing on the inside:


The lower portion of the bumper is finished in glossy black and looks a bit odd with lighter body paint shades. But it looks good on this Black Sapphire Metallic paint shade:


Healthy amount of underbody protection:


Adaptive LED projector headlamps with integrated DRLs. For reference, the GLC gets reflector LED headlamps:


Radar for the ADAS features is integrated into the grille:


Long and sculpted bonnet gets prominent creases on the sides:


The cameras for the ADAS system are placed high on the windshield:


You get an M badge on both the fenders:


ORVMs get integrated turn-indicators and also house cameras for the 360-degree view system:


19-inch M Light alloy wheels are shod with 245/50 section Nexen N’Fera tyres. The tyres provide sufficient grip on the road:


The biggest change is that BMW has moved from run-flat tyres to tubeless tyres. This makes the ride quality more comfortable:


Pull-type door handles look sleek, but not very premium:


You get a single-pane panoramic glass roof:


At the rear, the roof extends onto a spoiler that houses the HMSL:


Sleek design for the taillamps. You also get the X3 20d badge on the right. In accordance with the new nomenclature, BMW has removed the ‘i’ from the petrol engine badges. So, the badge for the petrol version now reads X3 20:


Just like the front, the lower part of the bumper is finished in glossy black:


Exhaust tip is neatly hidden below the bumper:

[Omkar]

BMW X3 Interior Review

Big changes to the interiors compared to the previous generation, which had a more classy design. Ergonomics are well sorted, and the ingress & egress is also pretty easy:


Just like in recent BMWs, you get an all-vegan interior except for the steering wheel:


Chunky flat-bottom three-spoke steering wheel is a joy to hold. It even gets a top dead-centre marker, but it’s not coloured:


The bottom spoke also gets an "M" badge and some nice detailing:


You get a Sport Boost function, which can be activated by pulling on the left paddle shifter. This puts your car in the most optimum settings for maximum performance for 10 seconds. The buttons on the left spoke are for cruise control. The X3 gets active cruise control, which is a step below adaptive cruise control:


Buttons on the right spoke are for multimedia and telephone controls:


Light controls are on the left stalk:


Another annoying bit is that in order to activate the adaptive headlamp, you have to press this button on the side and then select the option on the touchscreen:


Manual height and reach adjustment for the steering:


You get a 12.3-inch MID with a crisp display and plenty of information. You can change the layout according to your preference:


MID changes as per the driving mode. Here’s the display in Efficient and Sport modes:


There’s a lot of information available regarding the car. One very useful feature is that you can mirror your Google Maps (from Android Auto or Apple CarPlay) onto the MID. This is very useful as the passenger can use the touchscreen for other things. You also have a G-meter:


Head-up display also relays a lot of information. You can get turn-by-turn navigation as well if you’re using Google Maps on Android Auto or Apple CarPlay:


Doorpad has materials from the dashboard and seat upholstery. There are also some interesting design elements here:


Door handle gets a boomerang-shaped ambient lighting element, and on the inside, you have a panel with the X3 badge. On the panel, you have the lock unlock button along with the airflow controller for the side air vents and the memory settings for the driver seat. This is a neat integration, but the touch-sensitive buttons may not be to everyone’s liking:


Typical power window and mirror console. I found the plastics around this panel to be very ordinary and not worthy of a premium SUV:


Door pockets have multiple compartments. They can hold a 1-litre bottle and some other knick-knacks:


The X3 is equipped with a 750W Harman Kardon surround sound system with 15 speakers:


Seats are draped in Veganza perforated leather. This ‘Calm Beige’ shade upholstery is offered with darker exterior paint shades like Tanzanite Blue and Black Sapphire. Lighter paint shades like Dune Grey and Alpine White are offered with dark ‘Espresso Brown’ upholstery. Seats are extremely comfortable. In fact, they’re among the best in the segment:


Under-thigh support can be extended manually. It’s really helpful for tall passengers:


You get the usual seat controls, and you also get this unique a very useful switch in the top right corner of the console, which adjusts the seat bolstering. You can have it go wider or get it to hug your sides tight. Very useful when you go from cruising on the highway to corner carving in the ghats:


Big dead pedal is set at a nice angle. Pedals are well-spaced too:


This is a 14.9-inch curved touchscreen that runs the latest OS 9. The display is clear even under direct sunlight:


While the touchscreen is responsive and easy to use, the user interface isn’t very friendly. The main menu has all the options, and you will have to hunt for the one that you need every time. You get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. One of the annoying bits is that the A/C is controlled through the touchscreen. The car is equipped with cameras on the outside and inside. You can record when needed or view previous recordings as well:


You can even access some of the seat comfort options through the touchscreen. You get the parking assistant feature and the extension of the feature, which is the reversing assistant. To access the driving modes, you have to press the button on the centre console and then choose the mode from the touchscreen. The driver assistance features can also be tweaked:


BMW has also added augmented view navigation, which shows 3D signs on the real-time video feed from the front camera. This only works with the onboard navigation and not on Google Maps:


A/C vents are neatly hidden. There’s a touch-sensitive panel for fan speed and other HVAC controls. I didn’t find these controls to be very intuitive. The direction of airflow is controlled with the two small knobs below:


BMW calls this area as the ‘Jewelry Box’. It’s illuminated by ambient lighting and has a wireless charging pad and 2 USB Type-C charging ports along with another slot to keep your phone. There are two cupholders, and you also get a nice M badge in the middle:


On the centre console, there’s a crystal knob that can be used to navigate through various options on the touchscreen along with some quick access buttons:


Then, you have a roller for the volume control. The My Modes button pops up the drive modes on the touchscreen, and then you have to select the preferred drive mode. Next to this, you have the vehicle settings button and the parking assist button:


On the right, you get the engine start/stop button and the transmission mode selector. In the new 5-Series, this is crystalline, which looks better (reference image):


Wide armrest is fixed and cannot be adjusted. It’s sufficiently wide and comfortable though:


Below it, there is a deep storage bin:


Here's a look at the passenger side of the dashboard. I have mixed feelings about the texture of the dashboard. It feels nice, and environmentally conscious people will like having it. However, IMO, it doesn’t look that good:


Glovebox is medium-sized:


Piano black roof console has buttons for the interior lights and the sunshade controls:


Look closely and you will see the interior selfie camera next to the SOS button:


Big panoramic sunroof lets in a lot of light (1,303 mm x 822 mm):


A look at the second row of seats. Ingress & egress isn’t difficult. You can simply slide into the seats:


While the second row can seat 3 people, it’s best for 2 adults and, possibly, a kid. Floor hump is high, which means that the middle passenger won’t be very comfortable:


Seatback is set at a comfortable angle, and at 5’10”, I had good underthigh support as well. With the front seat set in my driving position, I had enough legroom to sit comfortably. The lack of a sunroof mechanism means that the headroom is also not compromised. I found this seat to be more comfortable than the GLC:


The X3 comes with a 3-zone climate control. The overall look of this console is a bit weird IMO. Rear passengers get 2 USB Type-C charging ports:


Rear passengers get retractable sunshades:


There is a provision behind the front seats for attaching accessories like an iPad holder (reference image) or a coat hanger:


The X3 has a boot space of 570 litres, which can be expanded to 1,700 litres by folding the second row of seats:


Below the boot floor, you get a space-saver spare wheel. Tools are neatly stacked in the area around the wheel:


You get a 12V socket in the boot:


BMW has introduced an NFC digital key card. You can also have a digital key on your phone or use your smartwatch as a vehicle key. The digital key can be shared with 4 members:

[Omkar]

Driving the 2.0-litre diesel AT

We got to drive the xDrive 20d version of the X3, which gets a 2.0-litre, inline 4-cylinder diesel engine that makes 194 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and 400 Nm @ 1,500-2,750 rpm. It’s mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission:


The B47 engine that we saw in the previous generation has been carried over to the new X3 as well. This is a gem of an engine and is popular for its smoothness and efficiency. It also gets a 48V electrical system mild hybrid tech for a better lower end and efficiency. How times have changed! We don’t get to test diesel cars very often. After pressing the start-stop button on the centre console, the engine comes to life. It’s a fairly silent affair, and there’s no diesel rattle that you hear inside the cabin.

Start driving in the city and you’ll notice that the engine’s main characteristics are smoothness and refinement. The power delivery is linear and there’s no unnecessary spike. The throttle response is good and you can modulate the input with ease. The gearbox is well calibrated and the shifts are barely perceptible at slow speeds. Even when driving at part throttle, the gearbox manages to stay in the right gear most of the time. Ask for more power for a quick overtake and the gearbox doesn’t hesitate to drop down some gears and give you a boost. There’s enough power on tap for Indian road conditions. You can get by just fine.

Out on the highway, the X3 diesel munches miles effortlessly. With loads of torque on offer, the engine feels relaxed on the highway. You’ll enjoy cruising comfortably at triple-digit speeds during road trips. The engine delivers power in a linear way and revs freely. Overtakes are pretty easy. You can get past most cars without going pedal to the metal. If you want to go full throttle, there’s also a Sport Boost function in which you can pull on the left paddle shifter to get a surge of power for 10 seconds. Mind you that the 20d engine is not blisteringly fast, but it’s a quick performer. The X3 diesel will accelerate to 100 km/h from a standstill in 7.7 seconds. Overall, this is a tried and tested engine with a good track record for reliability.

The 8-speed automatic gearbox is tuned nicely for both the city and the highway. We found no complaints with the gearbox, even on kickdown. The response time is fair and the gearbox always seems to find the right gear for every driving condition. You also get paddle shifters if you want to take control of the gears manually.

If you want to change the driving characteristics, there are 3 driving modes to choose from. You have to press a button on the centre console and then choose the mode from the menu that pops up on the touchscreen. Parameters that can be changed with driving modes are – engine map, suspension and steering.

Efficient – This is the most comfortable setting. The engine map isn’t really dulled down, but it’s in a comfortable setting. You can drive in the efficient mode in the city as well as on the highway.

Sport – On selecting this mode, the throttle response is sharper, the suspension is a bit stiffer and the steering gets heavier. You can go further into settings and select Sport Plus for the drivetrain and even switch off the traction control system.

Personal – In this mode, you can customise the different characteristics as per your liking.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

As mentioned earlier, the overall refinement is good. Inside the cabin, the engine doesn’t sound loud while driving. At high revs, the engine is heard inside the cabin, but it doesn’t sound strained. The engine is noticeably loud on the outside, but that’s pretty common with diesel units. The road noise and wind noise are well controlled, even at 100-120 km/h.

Mileage & Fuel economy

The diesel engine makes the X3 a comfortable cruiser. It also has a track record of delivering good fuel efficiency. The claimed FE number for the 20d is 17.86 km/l. We’ll leave the real-world efficiency numbers to Team-BHP ownership reports.

Suspension

Ride Comfort

We’ve seen the recent BMWs go for a softer suspension setup and the same is the case for the new X3 as well. The ride comfort is good at low speeds and the car doesn’t feel busy. The bump absorption is good and suits the Indian road conditions. You still have to be careful over large potholes, but small potholes are taken with ease. The suspension works silently and most of the owners will appreciate this suspension tune. The X3 also gets adaptive suspension as standard, and there are 2 modes that you can choose from – Comfort and Sport. The Comfort mode works best for day-to-day driving. BMW has also ditched the run-flat tyres and gone for tubeless rubber. This further smoothens out those small irregularities on the roads.

Handling & Dynamics

Straight-line stability on the highway is great and the car masks speed very well. You can do triple-digit speeds all day long and the passengers won’t even feel it. You can feel expansion joints in the cabin, but they won’t unsettle the car. Switching to Sport mode will stiffen things up and add that extra bit of stability. Also, it will help you carry some more speed into the corners, where the X3 manages to hold its line well. Body roll is well-controlled for an SUV of its size, too. The grip from the 245/50 R19 Nexen N’Fera tyres is good, and the all-wheel drive system makes sure that you stay on the road. The car doesn’t feel nervous in quick direction changes and you can enjoy the car in the ghats. The overall balance of the car feels good for the amount of power on offer.

Steering

The electric power steering is light to use in the city. On the highways, it weighs up nicely and you can switch to the Sport mode setting for added heft. The steering feels direct and relays good feedback, but we wish there was a bit more heft for added confidence in corners.

Braking

The all-wheel disc brake setup performs very well in emergency braking situations and the car doesn’t lose its composure. Even the pedal feels good to operate and it’s easy to modulate the braking input as well. The X3 comes with certain ADAS features, including front collision warning with brake intervention.

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[Xpresstrainfast]

Two questions, both silly.

#1 What are the functions that you can adjust through the Personal mode. You can adjust the brake, chasis, engine, gearbox, suspension in the new M5. Same here? (Does this one retain the adaptive dampers)

#2 Is the location of the photoshoot the same as the iX1?

Excellent review though.

[Vibhanshu]

Thanks for sharing. Great review!

How times have changed X3's review feels like reading about Merc. And GLC's review feels like reading about BMW.

X3 - 2022 LCi Ride & Handling said...
With all Truthfulness the X3 in Sport Mode is the equivalent of a high riding G20.Remember this is genetically still a rear biased AWD with upto 40:60 split, So the Handling remains a attraction and a USP for enthusiasts.

X3 - G45 today
The overall balance of the car feels good for the amount of power on offer. (that's it?)

2nd Gen Merc GLC
Expansion joints on the highway do not unsettle it. There is very little body roll and the car changes direction without fuss. Mercedes has narrowed the gap to BMW considerably when it comes to handling.

I'd say, not just narrowed it - but did better.

[Axe77]

Great review Omkar and thanks for sharing.

They've really killed the X3 even as an option in its segment. As someone who'd largely only consider petrol cars (unless there are exceptional reasons otherwise - like Hilux / Roxx), there isn't a world in which I'd pay close to 90L on road for a 188 bhp engine.

The GLC 300 petrol demolishes this new X3 in every sense in my books (and not saying this because I'm an owner). I absolutely love BMWs and I still would pick a 3GL or a M340i over any version a C class, any day of the week.

But coming to this segment, both the new E class and the GLC make a much more compelling alternative to the 5 and X3 respectively. Mercedes is giving powerful enthusiast engine options with cars like the GLA (AMG) as well as E class (450 petrol) where BMW on the flip side are going more and more for underpowered underwhelming powertrains (petrol X1, petrol X3 ...). I really hope they still have or bring back the X3 M50i at a palatable price. That would be some saving grace for the X3 lineup.

Properly disappointed!

[saikishor]

I am not sure about the engines, but this has to be the best looking BMW to be launched in recent times. The design is really snazzy, especially in this black color. If someone can forego the inferior engine and make do with the tight handling and snazzy styling I think this will be a good option to look at.

I would buy this for the looks alone, that is how much of an impression the design has made on me. Ofcourse, only if I had the money

[CEF_Beasts]

The cheaper X1 and more powerful X5 were the reason many would skip the earlier generation X3s, with this generation BMW have themselves killed the brand X3.

People looking to spend 90L OTR will be appalled at the plastic quality that BMW has used at various places in the interior.

The 20i engine has no business doing duty in a car worth 90L, no wonder BMW India hasn’t offered the 20i version to Media Houses for testing, because they know if they did, it would’ve been butchered!

I am glad to have made my parents pick the previous gen G01 X3 at the right time, before BMW went properly bonkers. The price got hiked by a mind-numbing 20-21Lakhs in just 4 years! (In 2021 the OTR we paid was 69L for the 30i meanwhile it’s 89-90L for the underpowered 20i version in 2025)

Have been invited to TD the new X3, will schedule one and drop by at Infinity Worli along with my G01 X3 to do a proper comparison, to pin-point where exactly has BMW faltered.

Just got another reason to hold on longer to my X3 30i

The only saving grace for the G45 X3 will be the M50 version with the B58 engine. If it comes as a CBU, then good luck trying to sell it BMW India.

As a child I used to absolutely adore Mercedes-Benz cars, then in typical fashion got addicted to RWD BMWs, unfortunately BMW is themselves pushing me back to loving Mercedes Benz cars in recent times.

The E450 and GLC are perfect examples, the 5 and X3 can’t hold a candle in front of their counterparts from Stuttgart.

[hondadriver]

All BMW enthusiasts must hurry and buy whatever they can afford (M340i, 330Li, Anything with an 250+bhp engine currently) before BMW detunes every car in its next rev.

And the new cars look more plasticky on the outside than the outgoing version (look at the 5 series, X1 and now this X3).

But I guess people like to brag about the size of their dashboard screen now, than the horsepower/torque of their engine. Sigh!

[darkgamer]

By next generation BMW will produce special petrol engines for India, inspired by Maruti’s Z12 and K15 engines and their success in India. Can’t wait for next gen X1 with 112i 1.2 NA producing 83 bhp and X3 with 115i 1.5 NA producing 105bhp, all for low prices of 85L and 1.1cr ex showroom only. BMW knows you’ll love these ultimate driving machines!

Just kidding, but this is getting ridiculous. Imagine getting smoked by a 20L Curvv/Creta EV on a highway while you’re driving a 70/90 lakh BMW.

[inwester]

Originally Posted by Omkar

• Quality of some interior plastics is mediocre and not something you’d expect in a luxury car

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

People looking to spend 90L OTR will be appalled at the plastic quality that BMW has used at various places in the interior.

Earlier in the year, I had the new 2025 X3 as a rental for a week on a business trip and drove it extensively. I hated it overall and regretted picking it over the older generation from the lot.

Few things I noticed -

1) The interior design and plastic quality was straight out of Temu or AliExpress. Perhaps, this was a made for China car and it did not look luxury at all. So gaudy but at the same time cheap looking.

2) The seats were weird as it in made the ingress and egress unnecessarily tricky with the unusual contouring. (FYI we were 3 males, all fairly tall and big, but not obese, around 6 foot or higher).

3) Did not like the dashboard, vents, buttons, controls, interface and ergonomics either, it was all just weird (and I own a 2024 i4 x-Drive 40, so I am used to the BMWs and iDrive).

4) The engine I had was the 255 bhp + x-Drive version and it sucked to say the least, so I can't even imagine the lower tuned version!

5) The exterior design is overdone in my opinion, but its a personal preference and some might like it. I certainly do not.

6) The ride quality was actually pretty good and that's one saving grace for this otherwise mediocre product.

7) I think its also fairly cheaper than Mercedes Benz GLC in most markets, comparably equipped with options (correct me if I am wrong).

Overall, skip this new X3 and go for the new Audi Q5 or the GLC.

Heck I would even pick the iX1 LWB in India over this, for about half the price.

[Mach_1590]

In the X3 pros it is mentioned that petrol the engine is competent? How is that?

BMW is in no mood to sell the X3 anymore I believe. X1 sells somehow with uninspiring engines but for a 90 lakh rupee vehicle, a strong petrol engine is a must! Also, such tasteless interiors! We barely made peace with the ugly looking grill design in new age BMWs but this here is nothing but blasphemy. I think it is time they launch these vehicles under a cheaper sub brand, these cars are not worthy of BMW logo.

[Xpresstrainfast]

Isn't it funny that from the time we associate BMW for performance and Mercedes for luxury, now X3 is a lot less powerful than its Closest mercedes competitor.

How does the other interior colour combination look though. Brochure says there are two.