2020 BMW X3 Review

Because you can never have enough M, the good folks at BMW are adding M badges to their compact SUVs, the X3 and X4. You may know the X3 as a comfortable family hauler with class-leading cargo capacity. But starting with the 2020 X3 M, BMW hopes you'll think of it as a face-melting performance machine, too. Backing up those badges is a turbocharged inline-six engine that can produce up to 503 horsepower, along with a host of other performance upgrades and some carbon-fiber bits. There's even a Competition pack for more power and carbon fiber.

Other compact luxury SUVs let you get your small family to soccer practice in comfort, but the X3 M is about getting your family to 60 mph in 4 seconds.

How Much Power?

The turbocharged inline-six found under the X3 M's hood is a variant of the new M340i sedan's engine. It's been worked over to produce 473 hp and 442 pound-feet of torque in the standard X3 M, and 503 hp in the X3 M Competition. That's enough to get the slow version from 0-60 mph in a claimed 4.1 seconds, and the Competition to 60 in 4 seconds flat. Top speed is limited to 174 mph in the M and 177 mph in Competition models.

To handle that power, the 2020 X3 M comes standard with all-wheel drive. And if you're feeling saucy, the front-rear power bias can be adjusted rearward by the driver. BMW points out that this enables "controlled drifts," a feature that you and your family are sure to enjoy together.

Both versions use an eight-speed automatic, and both have an active dual-exhaust system that can open up to provide more sound when you want it.

2 Fast 2 Comfortable

Inside the 2020 BMW X3 M, you'll find leather-wrapped sport buckets and aluminum trim. Upgrade to the Competition and you get premium leather in multiple color choices, or you can upgrade to simulated suede. For those times when you're cornering too hard for the seat bolsters to keep you in place on their own, the X3 M comes standard with knee cushions on the center console. BMW offers further interior trim options via the BMW Individual line.

Standard items include adaptive LED headlights, Apple CarPlay, satellite radio and navigation, and several active safety features. Adaptive cruise, automatic parking, heated seats, a head-up display, wireless charging, Wi-Fi, and gesture control are available as add-ons. Both the gauge cluster and head-up display have been tailored to the X3 M, with unique content including a shift indicator.

You also get a little red switch on the steering wheel that dials the engine, suspension and traction settings to super sporty. Because when you want to go fast, you don't want to fiddle with menus.

The X3's suspension has been thoroughly reworked for M duty and its chassis bolstered at several points, including with a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic strut brace. A lot of work has gone toward making sure the X3 M's handling capabilities complement the absurd acceleration. But your children probably don't want to feel like their car seats are buckled into a stiff-as-a-rock race car, so BMW opted for standard adaptive dampers on all X3 M models, offering selectable modes from Comfort to Sport Plus.

Pricing and Availability

The 2020 BMW X3 M will be available starting this spring, though we don't have concrete pricing information just yet. The Competition pack will become available soon after, along with a Carbon package that adds — you guessed it — carbon-fiber trim around the outside of the car, including a carbon-fiber spoiler for Competition-equipped vehicles.

If you don't want to give your kids a chance to ask "Are we there yet?" ever again, BMW may have just the compact SUV for you. Stay tuned to Edmunds for more news about the 2020 BMW X3 M.