The most powerful, high-performance mid-size crossovers yet from BMW have just been unleashed. Say hello to the 2020 BMW X3 M and X4 M.
Packed with nearly 500 PS along with a muscular exterior, BMW is resetting the bar for delivering dynamic performance as well as agility while still being able to seat five in relative comfort.
Starting with the most obvious change, BMW gave the X3 M and X4 M a much needed styling upgrade. The signature kidney grill has been painted gloss black, along with the side mirror caps and M gills which give the two crossovers a menacing appearance. Also included are huge 21-inch lightweight, twin-spoke polished alloy wheels that further add to the X3 M and X4 M's sportiness.
Fans of carbon fiber trim rejoice as BMW is also offering the optional M Carbon exterior package for the 2020 X3 M and X4 M. With it, the front air intakes, air blades in the front apron, rear diffuser, and side mirror caps are made from lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). To top it all off, BMW also threw in two new exterior colors for the X3 M and X4 M; Toronto Red Metallic and Donington Gray Metallic.
Inside, both crossovers come with M Sport seats trimmed in Merino leather, along with distinct door sill plates. It also gets the M-specific equipment like a unique leather steering wheel and sporty gear selector. As for additional in-car amenities, the X3 M and X4 M come with a hi-fi sound system, ConnectedDrive navigation, upgraded iDrive system with voice and hand gesture control, paddle shifters, and electronically-adjustable front seats.
Under the hood, both the 2020 X3 M and X4 M are powered by a TwinPower 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six. It cranks out an impressive 480 PS along with a stump-pulling 600 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed Steptronic transmission and M-tuned xDrive all-wheel drive system.
It has a rear-wheel bias setup along with an Active M Differential that splits the power between the front and rear axles. With it, the X3 M and X4 M are capable of sprinting from 0 – 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds. For those that need more oomph, the 2020 X3 M and X4 M are also available in Competition trim which raises the power output from 480 PS to 510 PS.
Besides giving it a more powerful engine, BMW was also busy making chassis tweaks to give it better handling and stopping power. It comes with electronically-adjustable dampers that can be set accordingly, a retuned suspension for better road-holding ability, a M-tuned Servotronic power steering assist, Dynamic Stability Control which controls wheel slip in M Dynamic mode, and more powerful M compound brakes.
Production of the 2020 BMW X3 M and X4 M will begin in April 2019 at the company's Spartanburg factory in South Carolina.