Some models matter in BMW’s story, and then there is the 3 Series. It is one of those names that has carried on through generations, engines and fashions without ever fading into the background. This eighth generation follows that tradition - with one major change: for the first time, it is unapologetically electric.
It is called the BMW i3, and it represents the second instalment of Neue Klasse, the foundation set to underpin most BMWs across this decade and the next. The opening act was the iX3 SUV, which is now beginning to reach customers. The new i3 shares almost everything with it, from the platform and batteries to the electronic architecture.
As a saloon, it starts with a few natural advantages: it is lighter, sits lower, and is aerodynamically more efficient. The i3 looks well placed to go further - figuratively and literally. Here is what you need to know about the exterior, interior and key specifications.
The essentials of the new BMW i3
If you have already seen the iX3 - we recommend reading (or re-reading) our first impressions - then much of what follows will not come as a complete surprise. The underpinnings are the same, but the body style changes the outcome.
The battery matches the iX3 at 108 kWh usable and brings BMW’s sixth-generation electric technology, delivering gains of around 30% in energy density and charging power. Thanks to an 800 V architecture, peak charging rises to 400 kW. The headline result is a claimed (provisional) range of 900 km (combined WLTP cycle), which is almost 100 km more than the equivalent iX3.
The reason comes down to shape. As a lower saloon with a smaller frontal area and a better aerodynamic drag coefficient (Cx) - potentially around 0.22 - the i3 can pull more efficiency from the same powertrain.
Inside is where the biggest shift happens. As on the iX3, the traditional instrument cluster is gone, replaced by Panoramic Vision, a display strip that runs along the full base of the windscreen.
Alongside it sits a 17.9-inch central screen, angled by 3° towards the driver, plus a new interaction approach that combines touch controls on the steering wheel with a more driver-focused interface.
Cabin room in the BMW i3 also benefits from the electric layout. With no central tunnel and a flat floor, the rear bench is simply easier to use. Rather than just describing it, watch in the video above how a 1.80 m occupant fits when seated in the back.
More efficiency, the same identity
Just as with the iX3, the first version due to arrive will be the BMW i3 50 xDrive, using two motors (one per axle) and all-wheel drive for a combined 345 kW (469 hp) and a maximum torque figure of 645 Nm. Rear-wheel-drive variants will follow later, with smaller-capacity batteries and, naturally, high-performance versions signed off by BMW M - yes, a 100% electric M3 is on the way.
BMW did not want this story to be only about the numbers. The biggest leap in this Neue Klasse generation may be the software. These are, in practice, the first BMWs that are truly “software-defined” (SDV or Software Defined Vehicles), where the network of on-board electronic brains and connections to the outside world are what shape the car.
Instead of multiple control units (one per component) talking to each other, Neue Klasse introduces four “super-brains” tasked with overseeing every function in the car, from comfort features to driving systems.
One of them is called “Heart of Joy”, and it is responsible for dynamics. It manages the motor, brakes, steering and stability systems, with the promise of faster, more precise and more harmonious responses across everything involved. This is how BMW intends to ensure that, even as an EV, the 3 Series still feels like a 3 Series.
And speaking of the combustion-engined BMW 3 Series, it is not going away. It will continue to be sold alongside the i3, and a new generation is due to arrive as soon as next year. Its design will be “mirrored” from the i3, but it will stay on the CLAR platform, which is set up for combustion engines and hybrid systems.
When does it arrive?
Production of the new BMW i3 is set to begin in the second half of the year at BMW’s Munich plant, which is being converted to build Neue Klasse models exclusively. The market launch is planned for the end of the year.
Until then, there is still plenty left to uncover - from final specifications to the driving experience and, of course, pricing.
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