2025 BMW X3 30e xDrive plug-in hybrid review

BMW’s new X3 is a very important car for the brand. It plays in the mid-size SUV space – which has become the go-to for luxury buyers in Australia – and this new generation replaces a seven-year-old predecessor.

While the previous car was renowned for its sophisticated looks, impressive cabin space, and high-end materials – this new debut needed to update the technology under the skin. This is a key area in which the old car was left for dead, especially alongside newer rivals like the Mercedes-Benz GLC.

The 2025 BMW X3 model line-up has been pared back, featuring fewer variants at a higher price. But the X3 30e xDrive car I’ve spent time in actually comes in more affordable than before.

The plug-in hybrid powertrain is of key importance for this specification, so I spent plenty of time running the car on EV power, charging the vehicle, and also saw what the X3 was like on petrol power.

I’ve come away impressed with how fuel-efficient the new X3 is on plug-in hybrid power, but there are some aspects with the interior that I thought were a step backwards. Read on to find out more.

The new 2025 BMW X3 is a more expensive car than the one it replaces. Prices are up by $4400 when comparing the previous-generation entry-level sDrive 20i against its all-wheel-drive successor; however, extra kit has been added as standard to offset the price increase.

Importantly, it’s the plug-in hybrid specification I drove that comes out more affordable than before. The BMW X3 30e xDrive is now priced at $104,100 plus on-road costs, which equates to nearly $8000 in savings this time around.

The car utilises a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and a 135kW/250Nm electric motor, which combine for 220kW and 450Nm.

Although similar driveline components are used between old and new generations, these new outputs are 5kW and 30Nm higher than before.

The electric component is powered by a larger 19.7kWh battery pack that is rated to deliver 91km of electric-only driving range (under ADR testing).

BMW claims the PHEV consumes just 1.6 litres per 100 kilometres on a mixed driving cycle, which will be of key importance to buyers of this unique specification.

New kit for the fresh G45-generation X3 30e xDrive includes a panoramic glass roof (though it is fixed) and the Comfort package (ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, privacy glass, window blinds, etc.) is added as standard fare.

In terms of the X3’s competitors, its current closest rival is the Lexus NX450h+ that costs $95,900 plus ORCs. This car can run 87km using its 18.1kWh battery. Other rivals include the Mercedes-Benz GLC, though there is no direct plug-in hybrid specification offered in the GLC line-up.

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Owners of the previous-generation BMW X3 would be well aware that the cabin was a particular pain point in terms of outdatedness.

By comparison, this new car has leapfrogged ahead in the design and technology stakes. BMW’s new single-panel infotainment/digital cluster display is incorporated into the dashboard and the central tunnel is reimagined without a traditional gear knob. In its place, the X3 uses a small toggle switch to cycle between drive and reverse (like in the new 3 Series).

This has allowed a decent amount of storage space about the centre console – there’s a large upright panel with an integrated phone charger, dual cupholders, a large, lidded centre console compartment, and twin USB-C ports. Even more storage would have been appreciated, perhaps within the central tunnel itself, but I didn’t need it during my week with the car.

The seats felt comfy from the get-go, and there was plenty of electric adjustment if needed. The light filtering through the panoramic glass roof also created a nice ambience. However, it is a shame that BMW removed the tilt and slide functionality with this new generation. It’s now just a simple glass roof with a shade cover.

Materials used throughout the interior are fair, though there could have been more contrasting inlays and nicer soft-touch panels around the door panels. In lieu of the leatherette grab handles of the old X3, this car uses hard plastics on the door panel, and it’s not a particularly premium feel around the window controls.

Likewise, the door handles themselves are boring black plastic instead of the old silver-accented units of the old car.

The second-row experience is spacious and lively thanks in no small part to the big panoramic roof. Although the seats don’t slide on rails, nor do the seatbacks recline, there’s enough space for my 194cm height.

I would’ve appreciated a bit more adjustment from a car of this size, but it’s not exactly tight back there either.

This is a premium car, so I wasn’t surprised to find tri-zone climate control in the second row, plus heated outboard seats, while there were tablet slots in the seatbacks and USB-C power ports for devices.

Window shades are included as standard in the X3 30e specification, plus a fold-down centre armrest houses a pair of cupholders.

At the rearmost of the X3, it was a shame to open the boot and find no dedicated spot for the included AC charging cable. Many other brands find a spot beneath the boot floor, but BMW whacks the cable in a bag that can be secured to the space with one of the luggage hooks.

Total luggage capacity is rated at 460 litres, expandable up to 1600L with the second-row seatbacks folded flat.

The box-fresh BMW X3 inherits BMW’s current infotainment suite that pairs a 14.9-inch infotainment screen alongside a 12.3-inch digital driver’s cluster. These two displays blend together seamlessly behind a single panel for a sophisticated look.

It’s nice to see the traditional rotary controller included alongside button shortcuts for those who prefer it, but the screen is primarily designed for touch inputs.

There’s also simply too much content for the rotary controller to be useful anyway.

I ended up running the majority of my week through wireless Apple CarPlay, which works really well. Also embedded within the system is wireless Android Auto, digital radio (DAB+), embedded satellite navigation, traffic and news updates, and app-based connectivity allowing remote access to vehicle check or remote locking and unlocking via a compatible smartphone.

There’s good adjustability of the main infotainment screen to view all the bits and pieces you’d like at a glance, while the digital cluster is also customisable to driver preferences.

I still don’t like the fact that the air-conditioning controls are handled through the infotainment screen, but at least there’s a hard-coded shortcut at the bottom of the display.

The BMW X3 has not yet been rated by ANCAP for safety credentials.

Although it misses out on a proper safety score by an independent crash-safety body, the new-gen BMW X3 benefits from a wide array of preventative (and protective) measures.

Systems designed to prevent a crash include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-centring assistance, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and rear and front cross-traffic alert.

There’s no extra safety equipment offered along with the higher-spec X3 30e xDrive, meaning all X3 variants benefit from this equipment.

In terms of its use, I’m a big fan of the way BMW makes all of these systems configurable. You can pretty easily dive into the settings and tweak a great deal of these measures, which makes for a happy driver. Compare and contrast to some safety inclusions from newer manufacturers that can’t be changed at all.

There were no undue intrusions from the AEB or lane-keep assist tech, while the adaptive cruise control was easily one of the best I’ve used on Australian roads. It was smart to when the car ahead was accelerating or slowing, plus the lane-centring kept me squarely within my lane.

I also like the way you can soft-press the indicator stalk to signal the lane-centring system to change lanes itself.

Like all BMWs, the X3 30e is warranted for five years or unlimited kilometres. However, the difference with this PHEV variant is that its high-voltage battery is covered for 160,000km (or eight years) after delivery. This is a common arrangement for battery-equipped hybrids or electric vehicles.

It comes with roadside assistance coverage that’s available 24/7, 365 days a year.

Maintenance is meant to take place on a “condition based” schedule, which means the car should tell you when it needs a service. BMW sells an upfront five-year (80,000km) service plan that costs $2475.

This is comparable with a Range Rover Velar P400 ($2450), but is far cheaper than a Mercedes-Benz GLC300 ($6455).

Annually, the cost of insuring an X3 30e xDrive will be approximately $3176, which is more expensive than its nearest rivals. It will cost you $2697 to insure an Audi Q5 45 TFSI and $2292 to insure the Mercedes-Benz GLC300, for example. However, these rivals don’t have expensive high-voltage componentry that needs replacing either.

BMW touts the plug-in hybrid X3’s impressive 1.6L/100km efficiency in a mix of urban and rural environments as its headline figure.

I was easily able to achieve such a number around town, plugging the car into an AC charge port at my destination throughout the week. The beauty in this system lies in its owner’s ability to regularly plug it in, so keep that in mind if you’re in the market for one.

But even when I was driving further afield on the weekend – away from a charger – the car remained surprisingly efficient, achieving 2.4L/100km.

Upon startup, the X3 30e xDrive preferences the electric powertrain if there’s sufficient charge in the battery, but the user can dictate where power comes from by diving into the settings on the infotainment.

However, I would have preferred a physical shortcut button to call up these settings, because controlling the PHEV powertrain quickly and fuss-free should be front of mind for this kind of vehicle.

I regularly saw a total EV-only driving range hover around the 90km mark, bang-on BMW’s estimate.

Sitting behind the wheel of the fresh BMW X3, you’re immediately buoyed by a lofty driving position that affords a great view out onto the road, whichever way you turn your head.

There’s a nice, tall glasshouse and a comfortable seating position that allows plenty of adjustment to get the right spot, including making the side bolsters tighter, extending the seat base, and tilting the seat base too.

Working hand-in-hand with the great visibility, the light steering quality makes the X3 a cinch to park in town. The dimensions are easily placed into a parallel parking spot and, though it may lack the ultimate feel BMW’s ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ tagline was built upon, the ease of use is a handy trade-off.

I spent the majority of my week running the X3 on electric power, which is arguably the most important aspect of its powertrain. It may quote 220kW/450Nm outputs from the electric and petrol components combined, but the 135kW/250Nm electric motor's punch is most commonly felt.

It’s only when you fully kick down the throttle that the petrol engine noisily sparks into life. The X3 feels properly quick when employing both petrol and electric persuasion, especially for a mid-size SUV.

In any case, the electric motor’s eagerness is easy to appreciate – the car instantly leaps forward when you lean into the throttle, and this spritely energy makes the X3 30e xDrive a nifty car to zip about the suburbs and through traffic.

It’s also near silent. The cabin ambience is serene and there’s very little road noise intrusion – it’s only you, your passengers, and whatever you’re listening to on the radio.

Further afield, and at higher speeds, there is marginally more road and wind noise to contend with, but the overarching refinement reliably falls within this car’s premium positioning.

Ride comfort, too, is bang-on comfortable, compliant enough to back up that premium SUV aura and sporty enough for extra-urban driving. The car is fitted with adaptive suspension to firm up the ride for sporty driving, but it's capable of dispatching large impacts such as speed humps or train tracks.

In terms of dynamics, the way the X3 can hustle through a set of switchback bends is impressive for an SUV, let alone one that’s a heavy PHEV variant.

BMW rates the X3 30e xDrive to tow 2000kg braked or up to 750kg unbraked. Though we didn’t have a tow kit fitted to our tester, its 220kW/450Nm outputs felt well up to the task of towing.

Keep in mind, this specification has a payload rating of 645kg – easily enough for five adults on board plus luggage.

Rewind one year and BMW would have been crying out for an X3 replacement. Now that it’s here in the metal, it’s promising that the new model addresses the tech pitfalls and equipment shortcomings of its predecessor.

Not everything is better. While the cabin is visually impressive, I don’t think the materials used throughout the front row are a step forward. This generation could have been a good opportunity to introduce a sliding (or reclining) second row that’s available on even mainstream competitors.

But, it’s hard to fault the X3's driving experience. Comfort levels are high and efficiency is impressive. Take it out of town and it’s equally eager to please. Compared like-for-like with the preceding X3 PHEV, this new generation, at a lower price, is a no-brainer.