BMW The All-new Neue Klasse BMW i3 Sedan


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The new BMW i3. Second model of the Neue Klasse.

The BMW 3 Series is the essence of the BMW brand. For five decades, this icon has stood for sporty driving pleasure, unmistakably attractive design and consistent progress. A legacy to which every generation of the BMW 3 Series is committed. The new, fully electric BMW i3 enhances the familiar character of the BMW 3 Series with additional, unique features.

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As the second model in the Neue Klasse, it represents a technological quantum leap into a new era. The first all-electric BMW 3 Series launches as the BMW i3 50 xDrive, which has an electric motor on both the front and rear axles. The combined system power output is 345 kW/469 hp1, the maximum torque is 645 Nm.1 The highly efficient sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology, together with the new BMW Panoramic iDrive and Heart of Joy, delivers driving pleasure on a level never experienced before. With BMW Symbiotic Drive, the assisted driving experience is also entering a new era. The BMW i3 also stands for a modern interpretation of the hallmark design features of a BMW Sedan.

As a representative of the new design language, the new BMW i3 is immediately recognisable as a BMW 3 Series – assured, dynamic and intelligent. The hallmark BMW sporty silhouette proportions are reflected in the new 2.5-box design. Notable features are the long wheelbase, the greenhouse that slopes towards the rear and the short overhangs. The four-eyed face is familiar, yet still new. The BMW radiator grille and twin headlights merge into an innovative light signature, creating a powerful and expressive unit. The rear end, featuring prominently horizontal rear lights, further highlights precision and technological progress. The prominently flared wheel arches emphasise the sporty, wide stance of the new BMW i3. The interior offers a high level of spaciousness and makes full use of all the possibilities of the vehicle concept, which is consistently geared towards electromobility. At the same time, the interior represents driver-oriented sportiness. The new BMW Panoramic iDrive not only defines the modern and inviting interior, but also ushers in a new level of hallmark BMW driver orientation.

Sportiness and driving pleasure are invariably embedded in the DNA of the BMW 3 Series. The new BMW i3 sets new standards. Maximising the unmatched capabilities of electromobility, it offers impressively precise, effortless, and assured handling. The Heart of Joy high-performance computer shapes the BMW i3 driving experience. Its responses are ten times faster than in previous systems. Together with three other superbrain high-performance computers, the Heart of Joy forms the centrepiece of the new software and electronics architecture.

The new BMW i3 stands out for its excellent suitability for long journeys. Its range is up to 900 kilometres1 (in accordance with the WLTP test cycle). DC charging capacities of up to 400 kW also drastically reduce charging times. The DC fast charger can recharge energy for up to 400 km1 in 10 minutes (in accordance with ISO 12906 in the WLTP cycle). Sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology provides the prerequisites for this rapid progress. It comprises highly efficient electric motors, 800-volt technology and new high-voltage batteries with new round cells. The cell-to-pack design used enables high energy densities at pack level and a flatter high-voltage battery. The BMW i3 also features the bidirectional charging functions Vehicle-to-Load (optional AC charging Professional required), Vehicle-to-Home and Vehicle-to-Grid charging functions.

The BMW i3 is manufactured at the BMW Group plant in Munich, which is the home plant of the BMW Group. For more than a hundred years, the plant in Milbertshofen, in the north of Munich, has been producing premium vehicles. Over the last four years, the plant has seen significant modernisation: Alongside a new body shop, a cutting-edge vehicle assembly area incorporating logistics space has been constructed. The new buildings are in their final stages of expansion. Production of the new BMW i3 will start in these halls from August 2026. The first vehicles will be delivered from autumn this year. One year later, the production portfolio will be switched to exclusively fully electric vehicles of the Neue Klasse. The plant conversion includes a large number of modernisation measures.

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More to follow...
 
I wanted to check if the iX3 and i3 are using the same dash and it seems almost identical except the center air vents are slightly different shape and the joining to the doors is also different.

I3

i3-v-i4-interior-830x467.webp


IX3

2026-bmw-ix3-101-68ae16df1a492.webp
 
TBH I'm visualizing an A4 e-Tron with an almost.. B6 A4 "ultrasport" design but modernized with Concept C touches.. could be cool.

Razor sharp, uninterrupted shoulder line replicating that of the Concept C. Large diameter wheels pushed to corners providing an absolutely flush dialogue with the "highly cut" wheelarch openings and smoothly pulled rather than chisled surrounding wheelarch sheetmetal. Very likely that these will be essential elements the new Frascella-supervised Audi design modus operandi.
 
I wanted to check if the iX3 and i3 are using the same dash and it seems almost identical except the center air vents are slightly different shape and the joining to the doors is also different.

I3

i3-v-i4-interior-830x467.webp


IX3

2026-bmw-ix3-101-68ae16df1a492.webp

The whole dash and door cards are completely different, if you look closely.

The shape of the screen and metallic part remain the same, but everything else is styled individually.
 
The new i3 looks great in almost all colours seen so far. The colour palette seems a little on the boring side with mostly greys, silvers and blacks and one red, 2 blues and an odd green.

With regards to the aerodynamics, it probably is very good but I didn't see any mention of the CD drag factor in the press info. If the IX3 has a 0.24 CD then this car my guess will be about 0.22?
 
They all look really good on paper but unfortunately the real life range would be at least 100-150km, perhaps even lower than those, unless you drive 30 km/h. 🤣
Our i5 eDrive gets 450-500 km average while the offical figure is about 600. With bigger wheels this could drop even more.
My friends BMW i5 M60 has a 300km range during winter times.
 
My friends BMW i5 M60 has a 300km range during winter times.
That sucks. M Performance models have much lower range compared to the regular ones, and it drops more significantly in winter. Thankfully in where I live it’s still warm even in colder times.
 
No video from Carwow about the ix3 thats been out for a relatively long or this new i3? Mat just received a M5 touring as a long termer so it can't be that their relationship is sour. Just seems strange not to capatilise on these for content/traffic.
It's true, it's conspicuously absent. My theory is that he's saving it to make a direct comparison video with the GLC EQ (he's done that before), but it's strange that he hasn't done anything about the i3.
 
De acuerdo, pero las buenas representaciones deberían ser muy similares a la realidad, ¿no?
No, those, for example, are garbage based on the current generation of touring cars; all these AI enlightened ones who think they have a magic ball, before there were only one or two, now with this tool anyone can throw around "imagination"
 
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