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HIGH-TECH i3 HONED FOR 'SHEER DRIVING PLEASURE'

Autocar UK

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October 08, 2025

New EV will drive like a true BMW 3 Series and offer class-leading range

- JAMES ATTWOOD

HIGH-TECH i3 HONED FOR 'SHEER DRIVING PLEASURE'

The crucial new BMW i3 will arrive next year as the first fully electric member of the 3 Series family, bringing a range of more than 500 miles - and company boss Oliver Zipse has promised that it will deliver "sheer driving pleasure".

With similar styling to that of the Vision Neue Klasse concept first shown in 2023, the new i3 will be the first saloon in the Munich firm's revamped Neue Klasse family. It will sit on the same new bespoke electric Gen6 platform as the recently revealed iX3 SUV.

BMW is gearing up to refresh its entire lineup with 40 new EVs and heavily updated combustion cars, which all share the Neue Klasse look and are due by the end of 2027.

While the X3 SUV is now BMW's bestseller, the 3 Series saloon remains the cornerstone of the brand and this will be the first time an electric version has been offered. BMW has sold the similar-sized i4 four-door coupé since 2021, but it chose to wait until EV technology could deliver a closer match to combustion models before launching a battery-powered 3 Series.

imageWhile the i3 will be new, it will face some familiar rivals, with a Mercedes-Benz C-Class EV set to be launched next year (Autocar, 17 September) and an Audi A4 EV in development (Autocar, 24 September). But the i3 will also be key to taking on newer rivals such as Tesla and Chinese premium brands including BYD's Denza and Xpeng.

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