BMW Gives X3 & X4 Bigger Nose & a Little More Pose. M Models Gain Grunt Too.

Changes are subtle in the rest of the range, but the X3 M and X4 M significantly gain the latest version of the M3 and M4’s 3-liter straight six.

In the latest ripple in the wave of BMW new models and enhancements over the past few weeks, Munich has rung the changes to its X3 and X4 for 2022. Clearly with the likes of a new Mercedes-Benz GLC, the Genesis GV70 and a facelifted Porsche Macan on the horizon, the white coats in Bavaria could not resist.

The changes are subtle in the rest of the range, but the X3 M and X4 M significantly gain the latest version of the M3 and M4’s 3-liter straight six. It gets a 3D-printed cylinder head core and a forged crankshaft. Standard models now have 473 horsepower and a 13 pound-feet improved 457 pound-feet of twist. Competition versions have the full Monty at 503 HP and a splendid 37 pound-feet hike to 479 pound-feet of torque.

X3 M & X4 M Now Equipped with 3-liter I-6

Competition zero-to-60-mph times plummet from 4 to 3.7 seconds, while the common garden models improve from 4.1 to 3.9 seconds. You can also tick an option box that ups the 155-mph VMax governor to 177 mph. The M straight-six feeds its grunt through a ZF eight-speed automatic to a rear-biased all-wheel-drive, with the regular M-uprated and stiffened suspension and 19 to or 21-inch wheels, depending how virile your wallet feels.

Best of all, pricing remains unchanged at $70,895 for the X3 M and $74,395 for the X4 M, when they arrive in September.