The 2007 BMW X3 3.0si makeover is more than just a new badge. Most noticeable is the new front bumper that frames a new, slightly larger twin-kidney grille, its chrome vertical slats complemented by a chrome strip along the base of the side windows. The new headlight assembly no longer includes the DOT amber reflector, which has been moved to the fender to give the light cluster a cleaner look, and the foglights have been moved into the bumper. The optional xenon headlights now include the corona light rings, and should the Cold Weather package be ordered, the headlight washers now retract into the bumper.
From the front, the stance looks much the same as the X5's, with fenders tautly blistered over wide and widely spaced tires, giving the X3 a BMW-like, road-grabbing face. The headlamp lenses and kidney grilles are shaped differently, as is the bumper and lower grille openings, and the bumper is black as opposed to the X5 bumper's body-color treatment.
The 2007 X5 also has distanced itself further from its smaller sibling in most dimensions. Compared to the X3, the new X5's wheelbase is now more than five inches longer, its overall length is almost a foot greater, and it sits almost four inches higher. The X5's track, the distance between the tires, is also wider by a larger margin than before. It looks sportier, more hunkered down than the X3.
The X3 looks like the X5 in side view, though the cut line from the front wheel wells to the front doors was eliminated for a cleaner look. A mild character crease bridges the space between the fender blisters, and a relatively low beltline adds openness to the side windows. The trademark dogleg in the rear quarter window has been stretched a bit, however.
From the rear, the new X3 displays a new light cluster with horizonal LED taillights and a new bumper. The main difference between the X3 and X5 back here is the single, double-tipped exhaust exiting on the left side whereas the X5 sports dual oval exhausts exiting at the corners. For 2007, the X3's pipes are chromed. The angle of the rear glass is more upright in the X3 than in the X5, and the X5's hatch-integrated spoiler adds a further touch of sportiness to the big SUV.
Standard running gear is newly styled 17-inch wheels with all-season tires, while 18- and 19-inch wheels are available.
