BMW’s top-selling model in Australia is getting a mid-life nip-and-tuck.
Images of the 2022 BMW X3 and its all-electric iX3 sibling have leaked out of China, revealing restyled front and rear ends.
While Chinese-market models may vary slightly from the models we’ll receive here, we can see both models have been treated to restyled front and rear bumpers, headlights and tail lights.
The two grille ‘kidneys’ have been conjoined, though they don’t look to be any taller than before – no 4 Series or M3-style grille here, then.
The headlights bear a strong resemblance to those of the updated 5 Series, while the tail lights – like various other redesigned or refreshed BMWs of late – feature darker elements.
The X3 (white) and iX3 (red) appear to be equipped with the M Sport package.
The current X3 features different front and rear bumper designs depending on whether the M Sport package is equipped, while the iX3 has a different front bumper as well.
The X3 and iX3 appear to now share the same front bumper design, at least in China.
The iX3 remains differentiated via its front grille, which is closed off. Blue accents remain optional.
We’re also expecting a larger infotainment system, a redesigned shifter, and some other tweaks to the centre console.
BMW already added its OS7.0 iteration of iDrive infotainment as a running change to the current X3 line-up, though we could see the new iDrive 8.0 introduced following its debut in the electric iX.
Our photographers have also spied the related X4 testing, with a peek inside revealing a larger touchscreen, a slightly smaller shifter, and a restyled rotary dial for the iDrive infotainment system – more clues iDrive 8.0 will be part of the update.
The centre console has also been revised slightly.
It isn’t clear whether there’ll be any new or revised powertrains for the X3 line-up.
BMW Australia currently offers the X3 with a choice of 2.0-litre turbo-diesel and 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engines, plus 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six petrol and diesel engines.
X3 M and X3 M Competition models should also be launched with the updated range, powered by the same twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline six as the M3 and M4.
There’s also the imminent iX3, which features a single, rear-mounted electric motor with 210kW of power and 400Nm of torque. It’s due here in its current pre-facelift form in mid-2021.
Current BMW X3 
BMW iX3
Last year, the X3 was BMW’s best-selling model in Australia by some margin.
BMW sold 4360 examples, ahead of the 3 Series (3406), X1 (3060) and X5 (2956). The related X4 logged 1273 sales.
The X3 sits neck-and-neck with its arch-rival, the Mercedes-Benz GLC. The three-pointed star brand’s SUV clocked 4470 sales in 2020 in wagon form and 1329 sales as a coupe.
