BMW X3 M50 Gets 437 HP and a $3,800 Black Package Starting in December

BMW is giving the X3 M50 xDrive a 44-hp bump for the 2027 model year, lifting the turbocharged inline-six to 437 hp. The extra power is standard on every 2027 M50 and arrives in December alongside a new $3,800 Black Package that is exclusive to the model, BMW of North America said on Monday.

That number is not a coincidence. 437 hp is exactly what BMW quotes for the U.S.-spec M350 xDrive, the M Performance version of the new G50 3 Series, which we broke down in our 2027 BMW 330 vs. M350 vs. i3 comparison. The X3 and the 3 Series now share the same B58 state of tune, which puts the SUV 44 hp ahead of the 393-hp 2026 X3 M50 it replaces.

What the extra 44 hp buys

BMW says the 2027 X3 M50 reaches 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, or 4.0 seconds with the one-foot rollout that most magazine tests use. The 2026 model is rated at 4.4 seconds, so the power increase is worth about a tenth on paper. A revised exhaust is meant to give the engine a deeper note, and the 48-volt mild-hybrid system carries over.

The company hasn't said whether torque changes. The outgoing M50 makes 428 lb-ft, and the European version of this update also lists no torque figure, so the gain may be power only. EPA fuel economy for the 2027 car hasn't been published either; the 2026 M50 is rated at 27 mpg combined.

For reference, BMW's global release from October 1 lists the same engine at 326 kW, or 443 PS. The 437-hp figure is the SAE rating BMW uses in the U.S., the same gap that applies to the M350 sedan. Both numbers describe the same engine.

The Black Package: $3,800 for wheels and Alcantara

The Black Package is a styling option, not a performance one, and BMW only offers it on the M50. The centerpiece is a set of 22-inch Jet Black 1134M alloy wheels, one inch larger than anything the X3 has offered until now. They sit over M Sport brake calipers finished in high-gloss black with a monochrome M logo, and the exterior M badges and model designations go black with a silver outline. The package also brings Dark Silver door sills with a black M logo.

Inside, black Alcantara covers the driver's side of the dashboard, the area ahead of the central display, the wireless charging tray, the door trim, and the center armrest. Seats are trimmed in black Alcantara and Veganza with blue stitching and piping, and an M logo is embossed into each headrest. M seatbelts, aluminum-carbon trim, glass accents on selected controls, and a leather-covered airbag module on the M steering wheel round out the list.

Larger wheels are a running theme for BMW M this fall. The company recently detailed the high-pressure cast wheels it developed for the M5 and the X3 M50, which cut weight without resorting to forging.

Price and the rest of the X3 lineup

The 2027 X3 M50 xDrive starts at $67,500 plus $1,350 destination, for $68,850 before options. That is a $1,000 increase over the 2026 model's $66,500 base MSRP, which works out to roughly $23 per added horsepower. With the Black Package, the sticker reaches $72,650 before any other options. BMW hasn't released 2027 pricing for the four-cylinder X3 30 xDrive yet.

Every 2027 X3, not just the M50, picks up a handful of interior changes from December: a soft-touch surface ahead of the central display, a new stitching pattern on the dashboard, ambient lighting in the center-console storage bin and inside door handles, a redesigned glove-box release, and stainless-steel scuff plates on the cargo sill.

The G45-generation X3 has been on sale in the U.S. for less than two years, and a power increase this early in a model cycle is unusual for BMW. The timing is easier to understand next to the M350 sedan: a $65,900 3 Series that out-muscled the brand's own $66,500 SUV by 44 hp would have been an awkward showroom conversation. Now the two match, and the X3 costs $1,600 more. We'll update this story when BMW publishes 2027 EPA figures and pricing for the rest of the X3 range.