Generation next

The 4th-gen of the BMW X3 has made its global debut and we were in the brand's hometown of Munich to drive the car before its European debut this year. The same will be launched in India next year

- Yogendra Pratap

One can set ones calendar by the launch of BMW’s next generation cars as they get launched every seven years like clockwork. The X3 nameplate made its debut way back in 2003 and ever since then we have had the 2nd-gen SUV (or SAV as BMW likes to call them) in 2010 followed by the 3rd-gen in 2017 leading up to the 4th-gen this year in 2024. Initially BMW sold the X3 in India as an import a couple of years after setting up shop in the country but with the next generation started assembling it at its plant in Chennai in 2011 and has continued ever since following up with the assembly of the 3rd generation car.

Globally the X3 has been one of the most successful models with over 3.5 million sold and despite being in the last full year of production, the X3 was BMW’s best-selling single model of 2023.

From the 4th-gen there is going to be a significant difference in the X3 family. While the internal combustion engine models will continue to be built on the CLAR vehicle architecture, the electric X3 will be based on the company’s futuristic Neue Klasse platform, which may mean an altogether new design, different interiors and a host of upgrades in the tech as well as the interfaces as we have already seen at the global premiere of the Neue Klasse last year. The ICE cars will have the G45 nomenclature while the iX3 will kick off a completely new series getting the NA5 tag with the N possibly signifying the Neue Klasse platform.