In short, this is the electric version of the most important car BMW has and will continue to build. The very “essence of the BMW brand.”
It’s the new BMW i3 sedan—essentially an electric, next-generation 3-Series.
And yes, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief because this electric, next-generation 3-Series looks… good. Really, really good. A ‘2.5-box’ shape with short overhangs, flared arches, gently sloping roof, and low, classy proportions. A well resolved kidney grille/quad headlight arrangement. A lovely rear light signature.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Toyota reasserts its hybrid mastery with the all-new RAV4
Here’s a preview of the facelifted BMW 7-Series to be launched in April
Phew. Classy drivetrain, too, as we’ve discovered from its (very) big brother, the iX3. At launch, BMW will offer the i3 as a 50 xDrive model, which means way more efficient (compared to the older e-BMWs) electric motors on the front and back axles, 800-volt architecture, 463hp, 645Nm and a whopping 900 kilometers of range. Nine hundred.
That’s an insane amount of range, and comes courtesy not only through better motors, but also the new cell-to-pack design which doesn’t group cells into modules inside the battery but instead bolts them straight in saving weight and adding strength. There’s also new software controlling the battery.
Moreover, BMW reckons you can replenish up to 402km of range in around 10 minutes on a fast-enough charger (400kW). Admittedly few and far between, those, but still. The only anxiety you’ll have is picking out a good colour, because the i3’s four ‘superbrains’ will take care of literally everything else.
Like the one that handles the battery we noted above, and of course the ‘Heart of Joy’ that handles all the fun bits like the steering, brakes, regen and suspension. Again, if it’s anything like the iX3, it ought to be a well resolved thing. There’s Level 2 driver assistance, bidirectional charging, and over the air updates, amongst a myriad of next-gen tech stuffed inside.
Speaking of inside, if you’ve been anywhere near or in an iX3, the i3 should feel quite familiar. And perhaps a little intimidating at first, not least because there’s a lot going on. Like the ‘Panoramic Vision’ which projects loads of stuff across the entire bottom section of the windscreen. Literally from pillar to pillar.
Then comes an optional HUD, a 17.9in central screen, multifunction wheel, and of course, AI, because that genie definitely isn’t going back into the bottle. Want to know how good it all works and, crucially, feels? Head this way for our review of the iX3.
More photos of the all-new BMW i3 2026:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
