Redesigned BMW X3 comes with bigger grille, multiple versions

BMW's fourth-generation X3 compact crossover will feature the brand's upsized signature kidney grille and slimmer LED lights, according to photos of a heavily camouflaged prototype spied in Germany.

The X3 is BMW's second-bestselling model in the U.S., accounting for 21.4 percent of total sales in the first half of 2022.

The redesigned model should go into production in August 2024 at BMW's factory in Spartanburg, S.C., with U.S. deliveries beginning in late 2024, according to AutoForecast Solutions.

BMW will offer multiple versions of the upcoming X3 globally, including all-electric, plug-in hybrid and M performance variants.

It's unclear whether BMW will build the next-generation battery-powered iX3 on the current model's Cluster Architecture platform or hold off until 2025, when the automaker unveils an all-electric Neue Klasse architecture.

The Neue Klasse platform will play "a crucial part" in ramping up EV sales for the company, BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse said this year. "It represents a quantum leap in technology."

The X3 was freshened last summer to evoke more of an off-road and sporty appearance. The crossover received BMW's new larger kidney grille design and updated front and rear bumpers, exhaust trim and rear lights.

BMW simplified the X3's powertrain for 2022: The xDrive30e plug-in hybrid was dropped in the U.S., leaving just the four-cylinder sDrive30i and xDrive30i and the six-cylinder M40i trim in the lineup.