BMW BLOG

Another model to launch in early 2010 is the second-generation BMW X3. Seven years after BMW introduced their first premium compact Sports Activity Vehicle and they are ready to surprise us one more time. The newly redesigned X3 will be aimed at customers looking for a dynamic SAV and U.S. will remain the main market.

The “kicked-up” window line that first saw the daylight in the X3 will be again evident and it will be seen as an X3 characteristic, a design element that will be associated with the model. It will also have will have a roof line slightly lower than the current mode, giving the car a sportier look.

The 2011 BMW X3 was built on the next generation 3 Series platform and measures 15.15 feet in length, two inches longer than the current model. The six cylinder engines missing from the X1 line-up, will find their way into the new X3. Various turbocharged gasoline and petrol powerplants will be available, based on the market where the vehicle will be sold.

Later after the launch, BMW plans to offer an ActiveHybrid X3 which will use a mid-line diesel powerplant.

We also learned in the past that the new X3 will have all the whistles and bells available found in other models, such as the Night Vision System, Head-Up Display, Adaptive Headlights or seats with ventilation. The interior design will receive a well deserved upgrade, fixing one of the complaints that many X3 owners had.

The future X3 is moving its production from the Magna factories in Graz, Austria, to the U.S soil at the Spartanburg plant, a move that will reduce some of the manufacturing costs.

With the new X1 takings its place as an entry level SAV, the new 2011 BMW X3 will be slotted between the X1 and the 3 Series, with the base price set accordingly. The new model will make its world debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show.