Article Summary
- The B58 engine powering Europe’s M Performance X3 now makes 437 hp, or a rather substantial 44 hp more than before.
- The 2027 X3 in Europe also gains an illuminated center-console storage compartment and an illuminated grab handle.
- BMW is also tweaking the dashboard, adding new stitching on the passenger side and an updated glovebox opener.
Well, that was fast. Only two weeks ago, we reported on the possibility of BMW giving the X3 M50 more power, and now it’s official. Just as we predicted, the M side of the company is aligning the crossover with the M350 xDrive revealed just hours ago. That means the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six now makes an identical 437 hp.
That’s an increase of 44 hp, which is a substantial change considering this isn’t the X3’s facelift. The news keeps getting better because it also gets a torque boost. The X3 M50 gains an extra 40 Newton-meters (30 pound-feet) for a grand total of 580 Nm (428 lb-ft), predictably mirroring the new M Performance 3 Series Sedan.
As we recently talked about, we may have to wait for the actual LCI until 2029. Meanwhile, logic tells us it’s only a matter of time before the US-spec version, which currently makes 393 hp, gets the same power boost. No matter when it happens, we’re glad Europeans no longer get the short end of the stick when it comes to power.
This Is BMW’s Most Powerful B58 Yet
Indeed, it looks as though BMW’s engineers have found a way to give Euro buyers the same potent B58 engine while still meeting ever-stricter emissions regulations. As some will recall, the old M340i had to be detuned on the Old Continent. Thanks to the newly added oomph, the X3 M50’s sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) drops by two-tenths of a second to just 4.4 seconds. There won’t be a quicker X3 with a gas engine, but we’re certain the electric X3 M coming in 2027 will eclipse it. An iX3 M60 is also coming soon as an electric M Performance model.
The tweaks brought by the fall update in Europe for the X3 go beyond the stronger M50. Going forward, all G45 variants get a slightly nicer interior. The center console storage compartment now lights up, and BMW has also installed a grab handle with ambient lighting. Elsewhere, the dashboard is slightly different, featuring new stitching on the passenger side, where the glove box opener is also new.
Again, this is not an LCI model, so more substantial revisions are likely coming with the mid-cycle facelift roughly three years from now. In the meantime, the X3 M50 is BMW M’s best-selling product, even though it technically doesn’t qualify as a true M car. In 2025, it proved to be more popular than the i4 M50/M60, which had been the top seller with an M badge for three consecutive years. If you’re wondering which proper M car was #1 last year, it’s the M2.
If you’re waiting for the X3 to get the “coupe” treatment, another X4 generation with a combustion engine isn’t happening. However, a little bird told us a fully electric iX4 is debuting really soon.
