[Car Review] 2025 BMW X3: Quintessential BMW

With sedans slowly falling out of favour with car buyers worldwide, the big question is this: can BMW deliver its signature driving dynamics in a taller, arguably more clumsy SUV form factor?

Apparently, it can. Because sales figures do not lie. The BMW X3 and X4 combined are among BMW’s best-selling nameplates, with 405,562 units shipped in 2023, and second only to its staple 3 Series/4 Series shipment figures.

405,562 units shipped in a year works out to over 1,000 X3s and X4s delivered every single day, or roughly 46 cars every hour. By the time you finish reading this paragraph, one or two X3s would probably have found a new home somewhere in the world.

Now refreshed at the end of 2024 and entering its fourth generation, is the fourth time still a charm?

I’ve taken the 2025 BMW X3 Mild Hybrid xDrive20 M Sport for a spin, and here’s why it remains one of the best compact SUVs on the market… with a few caveats.

A new look

While the latest BMW X3 continues to ride on an evolved version of the previous chassis and architecture, BMW clearly decided that everything you can see should get a complete wardrobe change. And when I say complete, I mean the designers did not just slap on a new jacket or overalls, they threw out the entire wardrobe and started over.

Upfront, the kidney grille has grown wider and more upright, because of course it has, but thankfully it stops just short of becoming a meme.

Paired with slimmer, sharper headlights, the X3 now looks far more assertive, like a hawk that’s stalking the vehicle ahead, daring slower cars to move aside.

Down the sides, the panel lines are cleaner and more deliberate. BMW has toned down the unnecessary creases and replaced them with stronger shoulder lines, making the X3 look lower, wider, longer and more athletic. This silhouette certainly looks more agile and sporty as compared to the boxier previous generation.

At the rear, the transformation continues. Instead of taking the “easy” way out like other manufacturers who have all jumped on the centre lightbar bandwagon, BMW designers have elected to elongate the taillights towards its logo giving the X3 a planted, confident stance.

The tailpipes are all now hidden below the bumper though, which can be a downgrade for petrol heads who like it erect, long and hefty.

The car I’m testing is the M Sport variant, which comes with sportier bumpers, larger air intakes that look ready to inhale small birds unfortunate to cross its path, and bigger wheels that finally fill the arches properly.

Step inside the new BMW X3 and it becomes immediately clear that BMW has gone full send on the whole “future cockpit” idea (well, as long as you haven’t seen the cockpit of the upcoming Neue Klasse iX3).

The first thing you will notice are the interactive light bars which have already graced several of the latest BMW models. While they certainly help sell the futuristic and high-technology vibe, some may find these lighting effects more cheesy than classy.

What I really have to give the designers kudos for though, is the new M Sport steering wheel. It is the most important tactile touchpoint in any car, the one thing you’re constantly interacting with, and BMW designs some of the best steering wheels in the market.

The wheel feels substantial without being bulky, the leather is nicely textured, and the shape fits perfectly in your hands. Turning the wheel is effortless, precise, and the variable sports steering feature on the X3 meant that you just have to move the steering wheel a few degrees to get a significant movement from the front wheels. It made the X3 felt more like a hatchback to drive.

But the true triumph of this steering wheel is the bottom spoke. I mean, just look at it.

The aircon vent controls, another essential touchpoint of drivers in the hot and humid Singapore spells a completely different story though. Ever took a hand-eye coordination test? Operating the controls is an exercise that takes 120% of my brain power. You put your finger on these tiny nubs (or nipples), and try to push them left, right, up or down. Then you try to feel for the flow of wind as you do so, because you can’t visually see where the vents are pointing at. It wasn’t a very fun experience.

But perhaps, one silver lining is the very durable rear aircon vent that is enabled by the hidden vent design. With this, there’s no risk of your passengers accidentally kicking and damaging the vent blades on your rear aircon (which had happened on my personal BMW F46, unfortunately).

Material quality is sadly a mixed bag this time around. While BMW still retains its signature interior build quality (perhaps more so than its German peers), it is slightly disappointing to see the use of cheaper plastic has increased.

That said, increased use of cheap plastic has been a trend that has plagued various luxury car manufacturers in recent years, and to be completely fair, BMW is among the least offender in this area. So, yes, it is a slight disappointment, but I will still give credit to BMW for their restraint.

Despite my minor misgivings about the lights, plastics and aircon nipples, the 2025 BMW X3 remains a fantastic place to be in.

Plonking my butt down, the driver’s seat hugs my (rather wide) body comfortably in the waist, which prevented my body from sliding around if I accidentally (or was it accidental?) took a corner too fast. The passenger seats are comfortable, plush and supportive.

Interior space is also plenty. Rear passengers get all the knee room they need to stretch out in comfort and there’s sufficient headroom for those who are 180cm or taller.

Despite the spacious passenger cabin, the boot is not compromised. With over 570 L of storage space available, you can fit almost everything and anything you would want inside. With its flat lid, it is easy to shove and push your barang-barang into the boot. That is, if you could lift the item over the rather high tailgate of the X3.

Please stop ogling and start driving

Ok, ok, enough about the looks and space.

Let’s get to the important part of what anyone reading a BMW review wants to know. How does the X3 feel like to drive? After all, BMW’s slogan is “Sheer Driving Pleasure” and not “Sheer Visual Pleasure”.

Looking at the drivetrain options available, for the first time, the X3 isn’t offered with an electric sibling. That duty will be played by the upcoming Neue Klasse iX3, built on a dedicated EV platform and scheduled to arrive on our shores in the later part of 2026.

So what do we get locally for now? In Singapore, the X3 is offered in xDrive 20 and M50 form.

For the xDrive 20, you get a 2.0-litre four-cylinder TwinPower turbocharged engine producing 188 horsepower, paired with a small but effective 17 bhp electric motor. This mild-hybrid system helps fill in the gaps before the turbo spools up, making power delivery smoother and more responsive in everyday driving. With a 0–100 km/h sprint of 8.5 seconds, this drivetrain will not be winning any races, but it is more than adequate for Singapore’s stop-start city traffic.

The M50 version is a different beast altogether. This one comes equipped with a glorious 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine producing 393 bhp. Like the xDrive20, it is also paired with the same 17 bhp electric motor. The result is an eye-watering 0–100 km/h time of just 4.6 seconds, which is frankly absurd for something that can still haul the family and groceries in comfort.

In practise, xDrive 20 feels par for course for an SUV making 188 horsepower. The engine has power, but you can definitely feel the inertia of this 1930kg car.

As you put your pedal down, the X3 lays down the power linearly, thanks the earlier mentioned electric motor. As the acceleration progresses, you hear an unmistakeable turbo whistle, the engine roars, and the gear shifts. It is an engaging driving experience, although I would have wished for more exhaust notes.

You can augment the engine din with its virtual IconicSounds setting, which pipes an additional layer of noise through the cabin speakers. In my opinion however, the engine is already shouty enough and IconicSounds actually distracts from the raw, organic sounds.

As mentioned earlier as well, the variable sports steering rack made it extremely easy to place the car on the road. All it takes is a small flick of your wrist and the car changes direction. Together with the M Sport suspension on my test car, handling felt planted, effortless, stable, and the car can hold road in corners at speeds that would have made all its rivals understeer.

Of course the M Sport suspension’s stiffness meant that you could feel almost every road imperfections at lower speed, but the cure for that is just a pedal tap away. Under acceleration, the car feels more stable and less wobbly.

So, what’s the verdict?

The fourth-generation BMW X3 captures the essence of what a compact luxury SUV should be and fully earns the BMW badge on its nose. It handles well, is loaded with the latest technology, and remains spacious and practical enough to serve family duties without complaint. The latest X3 stayed true to the formula and legacy of the X3 nameplate, and is an essential upgrade for anyone who owns a previous generation.

That said, it is not immune to the creeping tide of plastics that has quietly infiltrated almost every luxury marque in recent years.

And while the X3 xDrive 20’s sharp, confidence-inspiring handling is very much on point, you can’t help but feel it deserves a slightly pepperier drivetrain to truly do it justice. I don’t blame that on BMW though, it is just a little too expensive to opt for a stronger drivetrain in Singapore.

What’s to like

• Practical and spacious
• Best-in-class handling
• Easy to place on the road
• Lovely refreshed exterior design

 What’s holding it back

• Plastic creep
• BMW Interactive Bar can be divisive
• Car is begging for a stronger drivetrain

Key figures

Note: The BMW X3 was supplied by BMW Group Asia and BMW Performance Motor for review. The brand did not influence, edit, or review any part of this article. All views expressed are solely my own.