The new 2021 BMW X3 facelift (LCI) has been officially unveiled. It sports a refreshed exterior and interior, plus electrified powertrains as standard.

2021 BMW X3 Facelift Exterior

The front kidney grille is ever so slightly larger than before and is now a single piece unit. Headlights are redesigned and is said to be 10 millimetres flatter than before. Full LED headlights come as standard, while Adaptive LED with Matrix function and Laserlight are optional.

Below the headlights, there are triangular vertical air intakes at the front bumper. At the rear, the revised taillights with new graphics get darkened surrounds as seen in the G30 BMW 5 Series LCI. Wheels are new as well, ranging from 19-inch to 21-inch depending on variant and option.

2021 BMW X3 Facelift Powertrain

A range of diesel and petrol engines are available, though the ones relevant to our Malaysian market are the petrol engines – the X3 xDrive 20i and X3 xDrive 30i, making 184 PS/300 Nm and 245 PS/350 Nm respectively from a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.

There are also the plug-in hybrid xDrive 30e with a maximum combined output of 292 PS/420 Nm, and the range-topping X3 M40i with a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine that makes 360 PS/500 Nm.

All engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and all powertrains, save for the plug-in hybrid, get the 48V mild hybrid system that adds 11 PS.

2021 BMW X3 Facelift Interior

Inside, the BMW X3 LCI adopts the centre console of the BMW 4 Series, with repositioned engine start/stop button. The central air vents have been redesigned to match the current BMW lineup with its trapezoidal look. Ambient lighting is available as an option.

The 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system comes as standard with BMW Live Cockpit Plus and runs on BMW Operating System 7. The optional BMW Live Cockpit Professional offers two 12.3-inch screens – the digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel and the central infotainment display.

Both supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Since 2018 and the introduction of BMW Operating System 7, updates can be received “over-the-air” to the vehicle constantly up to date with the latest software. 

2021 BMW X4 Facelift Safety

In terms of ADAS, the BMW X3 LCI can be optioned with the Driving Assistant or Driving Assistant Professional package.

Functions of the Driving Assistant Professional include Active Cruise Control with improved functionality in the city, junction warning with additional city brake function, emergency lane assistant and improved steering/lane guidance assistant.

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