Back in September, the all-new BMW X3 its world debut at the BMW production plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. As of today, BMW dealerships around the world introduced BMW’s newest X-family member to its customers. The new BMW X3, internally code-named G01, marks the beginning of a new era for the X3 series.

Being completely redesigned by Calvin Luk and featuring numerous technology upgrades, the X3 strives to outperform its predecessor. Not just on the street, as BMWBLOG has just recently experienced, but also on sales numbers.

In order to achieve this goal, the BMW flagship dealership in Munich showcased a total of three different BMW X3 models. The performance-oriented BMW X3 M40i was joined by two diesel-powered X3 xDrive20d models. Customers were eager to have a look at the new model and, typical for German Gründlichkeit (thoroughness), some of them were armed with a folding ruler.

Once I got behind the wheel of the Phytonic Blue X3 xDrive20d, I immediately felt that time have changed. The interior impresses with high-quality materials and a fresh but yet luxurious style. Everything is where you, as a BMW driver, expect it to be.

At start, two models of the X3, namely the X3 xDrive30i and the X3 M40i, will be on sale in the United States. In Germany, a total of five different engine types can be ordered. The two diesel variants, the xDrive20d and xDrive30d, are joined by three petrol-powered models (xDrive20i, xDrive30i and the M40i). However, enthusiasts of the BMW M brand are awaiting yet another model: The BMW X3 M. The first-ever X3 model of the M engineers is expected to arrive in 2018.

The most-powerful model at this time, the BMW X3 M40i, is powered by a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine with 360 horsepower. The third-generation X3 is manufactured in BMW’s production facilities in Spartanburg, South Carolina.