► New BMW i3 saloon officially revealed
► Electric 3-series launches with mega range
► Neue Klasse’s biggest moment yet
This is it, the big one. BMW has launched its first global electric 3-series: the new i3 saloon.
BMW’s small car design chief Oliver Heilmer calls the 3-series the ‘ur metter’ or ‘original measure’ of the brand, with the wider team knowing just how important the car is. Still though, this new i3 is the second car to launch under the brand’s rather drastic and sweeping Neue Klasse project that overhauls the brand’s design direction, software stacks and powertrain engineering. While the iX3 was the vanguard for the Neue Klasse efforts, it’s this one BMW needs to get right more than any other.
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Of course, many know the i3 as a pioneering carbonfibre-clad city car that was a bit weird to look at and rather idiosyncratic with BMW’s wider plan. But there has been an electric 3-series wearing the i3 name prior – a G20-generation model purely for China.
CAR has been up close and personal with the new i3, so here’s everything you need to know.
Woah, that’s a bold look
But one we’ve known was coming for some time, with our first glimpses at the electric 3-series seen via the Neue Klasse concept. Joachim Post, BMW’s board member for development, boldly calls the new i3 a ‘gesamt kunstwerk’ – a work of art. But, then… of course he would.
The one pictured is in M Sport spec, with aerodynamic 21-inch wheels and a new Le Castellet Blue paintjob; you’ll be able to spec smaller wheels and a less aggressive bodykit in lower trims.
What’s it like inside?
Very much like the iX3 which, to our experiences, is a good thing. It’s definitely a bold interior design here, with a properly cyberpunk steering wheel and slanted infotainment screen hosting a properly up-to-date operating system.
Naturally, the interior shape is lower down given this isn’t an SUV, with BMW ensuring a proper touring car-spec driving position like a good 3-series should.
Any new tech?
Plenty of it. But, again, nothing that’s entirely distinct from the iX3. As well as the usual suite of safety tech and driver aids, BMW aims to one-up the likes of Tesla and Mercedes by adding a new ‘motorway assistant’ system that enables hands-free lane-changes activated by you looking at a door mirror. I’ve tried it on the iX3 and it’s impressively fluid, prompting lane changes in good time and enabling real hands-off driving on a motorway – and even exiting onto slip roads if there’s a navigation route planned. On top of that, BMW’s taken remote parking one step further by allowing you to climb out of the car entirely and let the car do its thing – useful for tight spaces.
The brand hasn’t confirmed the battery size for the launch i3 yet, but it’ll likely be almost identical to the 108kWh pack in the iX3 and comes with same features: an 800-volt architecture enabling up to 400kW DC charging, vehicle-to-load functionality and bi-directional charging via a specialised wallbox.
More variants will launch over time, likely including a single-motor rear-drive one that’ll start at a lower price than the circa-£55k figure we’re predicting for the 50 xDrive.
Rest easy, though – this doesn’t mean the combustion 3-series is dead. We’ll see a new generation of that, using the Neue Klasse project’s design, tech and engineering upgrades, in the months to come. This also applies to the M3, which will launch as a stonkingly powerful quad-motor electric model as well as a new-generation version with a straight-six.
Come on then, when and how much?
BMW says the i3 will go into production in the summer, with the first orders hitting the road in the autumn of 2026. BMW hasn’t confirmed pricing in the UK yet, but we’re expecting a circa-£55k price tag for this 50 xDrive launch model.
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The new BMW i3 saloon sets a benchmark with its record-breaking electric range.
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This advancement highlights BMW's commitment to sustainable driving and innovation in the EV market.
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The i3's design and tech are part of BMW's broader Neue Klasse initiative, aiming to redefine their vehicle lineup.