With automakers cutting costs and downsizing their line-ups, now is the perfect time for automobile manufacturers to hype up their smaller offerings, like BMW’s compact crossover, the X3.

The CEO of BMW North America, Jim O’Donnell, announced in a recent interview, that the next generation BMW X3 will make its word debut this upcoming December. Production of the current model has already been slowed down in order to generate demand for the both the future X3 and X1 CUVs.

Compared with the current X3, the future BMW will have a lower roof line and even more rounded edges giving the vehicle a much sportier appearance. The next X3 will also be larger, measuring in at 4.65 meters long, 1.85 meters wide and 1.68 meters tall.

Under the hood BMW has found room for four different diesel engines and two gasoline burning ones. The new BMW X3’s biggest competition will come from other compact crossovers like the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLK. We will have to wait and see how the Bavarian automaker does at the end of this year.

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