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.

2020 BMW X3 M X4 M image

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.

2020 BMW X3 M X4 M image

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.

2020 BMW X3 M X4 M image

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.

2020 BMW X3 M X4 M image

Production of the 2020 BMW X3 M and X4 M will begin in April 2019 at the company's Spartanburg factory in South Carolina.