SPY PICS: New BMW X3 spotted doing laps of the block

A new BMW X3 is on the way and first prototypes of the next-generation mid-size premium SUV have just been spotted testing in Munich.

The next instalment of the popular German medium SUV is set to serve up both internal combustion and plug-in hybrid powertrains, wrapped in an evolutionary new exterior design.

Predictably shrouded in detail-obscuring camo, the 2024 BMW X3 looks as if it will be treated to a nose enlargement as the Bavarian brand implements its evolving design language, with the swollen kidney grille tipped to appear on at least some variants.

An active grille will allow for better engine and powertrain thermoregulation as well as reducing fuel economy via the marginally reduced drag coefficient.

The new grille will be flanked on either side by a new headlight design and underlined by a new front bumper design with revised lower air intakes.

There’s only so much you can do with the silhouette of a five-door wagon, but to our eye the prototype looks as if it’s a grown a little from end to end, with a distinctly long bonnet gifting it a more cab-back look.

An increase in overall length and wheelbase – and the associated increase in cabin space – will make the new X3 more competitive with key rivals including the new Mercedes-Benz GLC and upgraded Audi Q5, both of which have grown compared to their predecessors.

Examining the car’s flanks also reveals a charging port built into the front left fender, outing this particular vehicle as a plug-in hybrid, though that was never really in doubt given the ‘Electrified Vehicle’ plate fixed to the driver’s door.

Self-charging hybrids are also expected to feature within the new X3 range, as is a replacement for the all-electric BMW iX3, which will likely gain a second or even third variant as Euro7 emissions regulations draw ever nearer.

While it’s hard to be sure due to the mind-bending lines of the camouflage wrap, the pre-production X3’s rear-end looks to have been made rounder via softer edges and a resized rear window.

Our sources out of Germany tell us the new-generation X3 will make its world public debut in the second half of next year ahead of a global launch in the first half of 2024.

The same sources also alluded to the inevitable electrification of the high-output X3 M, though it’s unclear if the tyre-shredding M version of the next X3 will be fitted with a mild-hybrid, self-charging or plug-in hybrid powertrain.

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