BMW’s grille fetish shows no sign of slowing down, but we suppose we should be grateful that while boasting bigger double kidneys, the refreshed 2022MY X3 and X4 crossovers that were announced today do not follow the example of the latest M3, M4, electric i4 and 4-Series Gran Coupe with their monster front openings.
In other somewhat positive news, the one-piece frame version of the expanded kidney grille doesn’t look as comical as China’s facelifted iX3, thanks to the vertical slats, or at least it doesn’t on the regular X3 and X4, because you do get the sunglass effect we talked about before in the all-black kidneys of the M40i models.
Flanking the enlarged kidneys are a pair of more squinted LED headlamps with BMW also giving the X3 and X4 a redesigned front bumper. At the rear section of the updated X3 we find a new set of rather busy LED taillights with what BMW calls a “pincer claw contour with integrated horizontal turn signal bars in the center”. In both models, the rear bumper was restyled as well.
The updated 2022 X3 offers a choice of nine paint finishes, including two non-metallic finishes – Alpine White and Black. Brooklyn Grey metallic is a new addition, joining the existing metallic finishes Carbon Black, Black Sapphire, Dark Graphite, Mineral White and Phytonic Blue. Also available for the first time for the X3 is an BMW Individual paint finish – Tanzanite Blue II metallic. The X4 offers one additional color over the X3, the new metallic finish Piermont Red, but not the Individual option. Bummer.
The headliner inside is the renewed and rearranged center console that sports different air-vents with the climate control unit now placed above the audio system. The design mimics the console from the 4-Series models. As standard, there’s an enlarged 10.25-inch infotainment screen for the X3, while opting for the “Live Cockpit Professional” package that’s standard on the X4, nets you a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a bigger 12.3-inch screen. BMW says it has also made subtle changes to interior trimming.
The standard in the U.S. 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that makes 248 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of peak torque paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission remains unchanged in the facelifted 2022 X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive30i and X4 xDrive30i models. According to BMW, all four-pot models reach 96 km/h from standstill in 6.0-seconds and top out at a limited 209 km/h.
The revised 2022 X3 M40i and X4 M40i, however, gain the benefits of a 48-volt mild hybrid-system, which can recuperate energy, with BMW stating that the recuperation in coasting mode is “particularly intense in SPORT mode” – for whatever reason. Output remains at 382 hp at 5,800 – 6,500 rpm with a peak torque figure of 369 lb-ft between 1,800 – 5,000 rpm. The sprint from 0 to 96 km/h takes 4.4 seconds, on the way to a top speed of either 209 km/h or 250 km/h, depending on the tire specification chosen.
Production of both the 2022 X3 and X4 kicks off in Spartanburg this August with first deliveries to start shortly thereafter. Pricing before a US$ 995 destination begins at US$ 43,700 for the base, rear-wheel-drive X3 sDrive30i climbing to US$ 45,700 for the AWD X3 xDrive30i and US$ 57,800 for the X3 M40i. MSRP for the X4 xDrive30i is set at US$ 51,800 and US$ 62,400 for the X4 M40i, excluding destination.
