Move over, Tesla – BMW is coming for the crown of Australia’s longest-range electric vehicle (EV) with an all-new mid-size electric sedan.
The BMW i3 is due for release in Australia in early 2027, initially in dual-motor all-wheel drive 50 xDrive guise – the only i3 variant detailed thus far.
The 50 xDrive boasts a range of up to 900km under the stricter WLTP cycle, beating the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD sedan (750km) and blowing BMW’s own existing i4 Gran Coupe electric liftback (up to 613km) out of the water.
BMW notes this range figure is provisional, but even if it’s knocked down by a few kilometres it’ll remain market-leading.
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The i3 incorporates an 800V electrical architecture and a battery that can be charged at up to 400kW on DC power, which will allow up to 400km of range to be added in a claimed 10 minutes, and at up to 22kW on AC power.
It also features bidirectional charging with vehicle-to-load (V2L), vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functionality; local details on this capability will be announced “in due course”, says BMW Australia.
The battery pack features round cells, instead of the prismatic cells used in previous-generation BMW EVs.
While BMW hasn’t specified battery capacity or chemistry for the i3, the iX3 50 xDrive mid-size SUV – which is based on the same Neue Klasse EV platform and features the same dual-motor powertrain with the same outputs – employs a 108kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery.
The i3 will join the iX3 due on sale here later this year. The sleeker shape of the sedan has resulted in an increase in range of 95km over its SUV sibling.
The 50 xDrive’s powertrain features an electric motor front and rear, for total system outputs of 345kW of power and 645Nm of torque. The rear motor is the primary motor.
That means the inaugural i3 will be more powerful than the only i4 variant currently available in Australia, the single-motor rear-wheel drive eDrive35 (210kW/400Nm), as well as the dual-motor all-wheel drive xDrive 40 (295kW/600Nm) not sold here, though it doesn’t have as much grunt as the i4 M60, a 442kW/795Nm M Performance model available overseas.
The i3 features two-joint spring strut front and five-link rear suspension, with adaptive dampers optional.
The electric sedan’s styling resembles the 2023 Vision Neue Klasse concept, though the ‘slatted’ look to the illuminated grille has made way for a more conventional take on the brand’s classic double-kidney grille – but with even more extensive illumination than existing Bimmers.
There’s an accentuated centre section of the bonnet, which culminates in BMW’s roundel logo. Detailing up front is angular, with a creased bumper and daytime running lights reminiscent of existing BMW products.
Moving to the side, there are short overhangs front and rear, and a long 2897mm wheelbase. All up, the i3 measures 4760mm long, 1865mm wide and 1480mm tall.
The i3 features a fairly conventional sedan silhouette – BMW calls it a ‘2.5-box design’ – plus flared wheel-arches and the brand’s trademark Hofmeister kink on the C-pillar.
BMW hasn’t followed Mercedes-Benz’s error of giving its electric sedan a wildly different silhouette to its combustion-powered equivalent, and the brand is expected to make its combustion-powered vehicles closely resemble its EVs even if they sit on different platforms.
The door handles are flush-mounted and pop out, which will likely see them fall afoul of incoming Chinese regulations.
Down back, the striking tail-lights of the show car have made way for slightly more conventional units. These are sharply angled at the ends, and continue along the boot-lid before reaching the BMW logo which sits within a creased section of sheetmetal.
BMW has shown off the i3 with the M Sport package in a new M Le Castellet Blue metallic finish, plus 21-inch M 1067 M aerodynamic wheels. There will be a total of 11 exterior paint colours available at launch, including solid, ‘frozen’ (matte) and metallic finishes.
Inside, the i3 closely resembles the new iX3.
There’s a 17.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system angled towards the driver and an available head-up display, but the statement piece of the interior is the huge, pillar-to-pillar BMW Panoramic Vision display that runs across the base of the windscreen.
Key driving information is shown on the left-hand side in the driver’s line of sight, while the contents displayed in the centre and right-hand sections can be personalised.
There are multiple steering wheel designs, including one with a centre spoke in the upper section and a flattened M Sport wheel, and these feature what BMW calls ‘Shy Tech’.
This means buttons are only illuminated when the corresponding functions are available, and they provide haptic feedback.
The centre console features a wireless phone charger plus physical buttons for functions like the parking brake and hazard lights, but this is largely a button-free cabin.
A panoramic glass roof is optional, as are multifunction front seats. Econeer upholstery, a recyclable textile composite, is standard. Veganza leatherette and Merino leather trim will be available.
The i3’s interior is available in various different colours depending on the upholstery and seat type, and these include Adelaide Grey, Vivid Grey, Agave Green, Digital White, Castanea and Black.
BMW’s Neue Klasse vehicles feature four high-performance computers, each assigned to a core function. For example, what is called the Heart of Joy manages driving dynamics, and it’s claimed to respond 10 times faster than previous systems.
The German automaker has also split electronics into four zones, which helps reduce the complexity of the cable harnesses and reduce weight.
BMW is touting the i3’s ‘Symbiotic Drive’ system. This means Level 2 autonomous driving technology, with systems that don’t disengage when the driver intervenes, which the brand claims results in “the symbiotic interplay of driver and vehicle”.
As expected of a new EV, BMW has made extensive use of recycled materials.
The front bumper, for example, is made from 30 per cent recycled plastic, and is 85 per cent recyclable – up from 46 per cent in its predecessor – while the base material used for the engine compartment cover consists of 30 per cent recycled marine plastic.
The i3 is a dramatic departure from past BMWs to wear the nameplate. The first i3 was a city car with carbon-fibre construction and quirky styling, while the second was a China-exclusive electric version of the outgoing 3 Series.
Production of the new i3 will begin in Munich, Germany in August 2026, ahead of a local launch in early 2027. BMW will switch to exclusively producing Neue Klasse-based EVs in its primary Bavarian factory in 2027.