BMW did not build a full M version of the new X3, so the M50 xDrive is the top combustion X3. It gets a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine with mild-hybrid help, 293 kW (398 PS), an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, as Automobil Revue reported on 19 June 2024.
At Passion Auto Show Martigny in March 2025, the BMW dealer Urfer showed a white one with a lit kidney grille. We filmed it, and our photographs are dated 21 March 2025, the show’s first day.
A Grille That Glows Blue
The grille is the first thing you see. Both kidneys light up, and the lower air intakes glow blue under the stand lights. The right kidney carries an M badge, and the plate on the nose reads “THE X3”, with the Urfer name below it.
The card in the glass stand beside the car says “X3 M50 xDrive”. Next to it is the Swiss energy label for the car.
Two Figures That Add Up
The label on the stand reads 280 kW / 381 PS. Wikipedia lists the engine at 381 PS plus an 18 PS mild-hybrid motor, which fits BMW’s 398 PS system figure, and gives 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds.
The AUTO TV walkaround gives the output as 393 hp and 580 Nm, the same as BMW’s 398 PS. It calls the X3 BMW’s bestselling model, says the M50 replaces the M40i and notes that no full X3 M is planned for this generation.
M Hardware, Inside And Out
The walkaround lists the hardware: a 48-volt mild hybrid, an eight-speed automatic, adaptive suspension, an electronic rear differential and M Sport brakes with four-piston front calipers. Outside it points to quad exhaust tips and M mirrors.
Inside, it shows a curved display running iDrive 9 and coloured ambient lighting panels in place of traditional trim.
The Weight Of A Six
The same stand label shows the price of all this. The car weighs 2,127 kg, sits in Swiss energy class G and reads about 8 litres per 100 km. That is what a 3.0-litre six costs in a heavy SUV.
A Finalist In The Same Year
The BMW X3 was one of three finalists for 2025 World Car of the Year, with the Hyundai Inster and the Kia EV3. The EV3 won on 16 April 2025, three weeks after Martigny. The result is for the X3 range, not for the M50 xDrive on the stand.
CHF 103,469 As Equipped
The BMW sheet in the glass stand lists this car as equipped, in francs, at a total of CHF 103,469 including VAT. It prices one car with its options, so it is not a list-price range.
Specs: BMW X3 M50 xDrive (2025)
| Engine | 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol, mild hybrid, all-wheel drive, eight-speed automatic |
| Output | 293 kW (398 PS) system (Automobil Revue); 280 kW / 381 PS on the stand label |
| Weight | 2,127 kg (stand label) |
| 0 to 100 km/h | 4.6 s (Wikipedia) |
| Price (Switzerland) | sheet on the stand totals CHF 103,469 including VAT for this car as equipped |
Source: Automobil Revue, 19 June 2024; Wikipedia, BMW X3 (G45); stand sheet, Martigny, 21 March 2025.
More Videos From The Shows
We filmed it at Passion Auto Show Martigny 2026.
We filmed it at Automesse Salzburg 2026.
We filmed it at Automesse Salzburg 2026.
More of our videos of this car on AUTO TV:
- BMW's Crazy Price Mistake? X3 30e vs X3 2.0 Deal! (Automesse Salzburg 2026)
- This New BMW X3 Proves Diesel Still Matters in 2026 (Automobilmesse Erfurt 2026)
Our Take
The AUTO TV walkaround sells the M50 as the do-everything X3, a six-cylinder with an M badge and an everyday body. The stand backs the look and the equipment, and the numbers match BMW’s own 398 PS.
BMW has since moved the car on. Carscoops reported on 2 October 2026 that the X3 M50 xDrive now has 326 kW (443 PS), 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and an optional Black Package. The 398 PS car on the Martigny stand is the earlier version.
Independent editorial. No brand or organiser paid for or reviewed this article.
