BMW has revealed the new i3, an electric saloon that will sit alongside the upcoming all-new 3 Series petrol models. It marks the second car to emerge from the company’s “Neue Klasse” reinvention.
The i3 name needs a quick explanation. BMW previously used the name i3 for a small city car sold between 2013 and 2022, which was a completely different sort of vehicle. This new i3 is the electric version of the next 3 Series, just as the i5 is an electric 5 Series and the i7 is an electric 7 Series.
The Neue Klasse programme, explained when the BMW iX3 launched late last year, represents a complete reset of BMW’s approach to electric cars. The i3 shares the same underlying technology as the iX3 – including the same advanced electrical systems, the same windscreen-wide information display, and the same fast-charging capability – but in a traditional 3 Series saloon body, rather than an SUV.
For a broader ownership picture, see our BMW i3 Expert Rating, which will be continually updated as new information becomes available.
What’s new
In 3 Series terms, everything. The i3 is the first model of the new 3 Series range to be revealed, exactly as BMW did with the 5 Series and 7 Series launches in recent years. But much of the hardware is shared with the all-new BMW iX3 SUV, which we reviewed last week.
As the second model in BMW’s Neue Klasse reinvention, the i3 shares a lot of the new features and innovations that were debuted in the iX3, and the cabin layout is very similar.
The most notable claim is range. BMW quotes up to around 560 miles on a single charge under official test conditions, although that figure is provisional at this stage. We’ll have exact lab test numbers closer to the UK launch later this year.
The charging capability is equally impressive on paper. At a compatible public fast charger, BMW claims around 250 miles of range can be recovered in roughly ten minutes – and the car supports bidirectional charging, meaning it can supply power back to a home energy system or charge external devices like an e-bike directly from the battery.
Inside, the i3 carries over the Panoramic iDrive system that impressed in the iX3 review. Rather than relying solely on a central touchscreen, it projects information across the full width of the windscreen – speed, navigation, media and more – directly into the driver’s line of sight. It’s one of the more genuinely useful pieces of technology in any new car right now, and its presence here confirms it will become a Neue Klasse signature rather than an iX3 exclusive.
Physical buttons are retained for key functions, and the cabin design follows the same clean, driver-focused layout as the iX3. BMW has also continued its sustainability approach from the iX3, with around 30% of the car built from recycled or secondary materials, including aluminium chassis components and seat fabrics made from recycled textiles.
Timing and pricing
First UK deliveries are expected the last few months of 2026, and we are yet to see full UK pricing and specifications. The only variant confirmed so far is the i3 50 xDrive with all-wheel drive and 469hp, which suggests a premium positioning. A single-motor, lower-powered version at a more accessible price is likely to follow, which is exactly how the launch of the new iX3 is rolling out.
The petrol and hybrid versions of the new 3 Series are expected to be revealed later this year, with UK sales beginning in early 2027.
The context
The 3 Series has been BMW’s defining model for five decades. Launching the electric version first – before the petrol models – is a deliberate signal about where BMW sees the range heading, and puts the i3 in direct competition with the Tesla Model 3, the Polestar 2 and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz C-Class EQ, among others.
Whether it drives as well as a traditional 3 Series is the question that matters most to many BMW owners, and one that can only be answered once we can get behind the wheel later this year.
