The days of BMWs with separate kidney grilles are coming to a close, with the 2022 BMW X3 and X3 M adopting the conjoined nostrils that mark the mugs of many modern Bimmers. It's not just the X3's grille that gets an update, as BMW also tinkered with the small luxury SUV's front and rear fascias, headlight decor, and taillights, the latter of which are far more visually interesting than the red blobs that grace the rear end of the current X3.
BMW pares down the X3's powertrain lineup for 2022. Despite its appearance in the images accompanying this piece, the X3 xDrive30e plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid is no more for the United States, per BMW. Instead, the automaker plans to offer the 2022 X3 in four-cylinder sDrive30i and xDrive30i guises, as well as six-cylinder M40i trim.
As before, the sDrive30i and xDrive30i models rely on a 248-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4, which sends power to the rear wheels (sDrive30i) or all four wheels (xDrive30i) by way of an eight-speed automatic transmission. The strictly all-wheel-drive M40i, meanwhile, benefits from the addition of a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which includes an 11-hp starter-generator that provides occasional assistance to its 382-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter I-6. Like its four-cylinder counterpart, the M40i comes standard with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Step up to the X3 M and BMW fits its compact SUV with a raucous 473-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter I-6. Although the six-pot's peak power is no different than the 2021 X3 M's, its torque output rises to 457 lb-ft from 442. Credit revised engine tuning and updated internals, including the addition of the M3 and M4 models' lightweight forged crankshaft.
Likewise, the even wilder X3 M Competition maintains the same 503-hp output as today's model, however, its torque peak rises to 479 lb-ft from 442—a 37 lb-ft gain. The extra grunt cuts 0.2 second from the standard X3 M's run from 0-60 mph and 0.3 second from the X3 M Competition, per BMW, allowing the two X3 M models to hit the mile-a-minute-mark in a manufacturer claimed 4.1 and 3.9 seconds, respectively. Both X3 M models once again rely on an M-specific eight-speed automatic transmission, which routes power to all four wheels by way of a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system.
Things change slightly inside of the 2022 X3, too, which comes standard with a 10.3-inch touchscreen running BMW's iDrive 7 infotainment setup and a 5.1-inch screen within the gauge cluster. If those screens are too small, then BMW offers a pair of 12.3-inch units instead: one for infotainment and another that serves as a digital gauge cluster. The latter screen supplements the former by displaying navigation information (including a full map), media content, and more. Opt for the X3 M and the bigger screens come standard, as does an M-specific M View display option.
Additionally, the X3 now cribs its center console from the 4 Series, while reworked dashboard decor, including slightly altered controls for the audio system and standard tri-zone climate control system, zhoosh up the insides of the SUV. Similarly, the 2022 X3 M's center console features the gear selector, start button, and various other switches from the M3 and M4.
