BMW’s omnipresent B48 turns 10 this year, but it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. It appears another revision (TÜ3) is planned for 2026. It would mean the four-cylinder engine is going to stick around until the end of the decade at the very least. The unconfirmed report comes from an insider from the Bimmer Post forums who has a good track record of releasing details ahead of schedule.
If the rumor mill is to be believed, the B48 TÜ3 will first show up in the next-generation X3 for the United States and South Korean markets. As a refresher, the G45 luxury crossover premieres later this year. If you’re wondering about the TÜ2 revision of the same engine, the insider claims it’s coming to the 2025 3 Series Sedan for the US with the vehicles manufactured from July this year.
It’s unclear whether the planned changes are about adding power or just tweaks to meet stricter emissions regulations. Ideally, it could be both. Over the years, BMW has offered more than 10 different power outputs for its ubiquitous engine, varying from as low as 154 hp to over 300 horsepower. Even for the exact same model, the engine has two different power levels depending on where it’s sold.
Case in point, the X1 M35i and the X2 M35i are detuned to 296 hp in Europe while in North America and other markets, the turbocharged 2.0-liter mill delivers 313 hp. BMW is likely to do the same for the new M135 hatchback and M235 Gran Coupe debuting later this year since they’re essentially the same cars underneath their different body styles.
While rival luxury brands have rushed to set cutoff dates for combustion engines, BMW has expressed its long-term commitment to conventional powertrains. With the EU pushing back the Euro 7 standard by five years to 2030, there’s still life left in the good ol’ ICE. It’s especially true since the regulations are going to be far more relaxed compared to the initial proposal.
Source: Bimmer Post
