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The BMW i3 saloon opens a fresh chapter for the 3 Series family, bringing a pure-electric brief to the badge that built BMW’s reputation. Styled with cues from the Vision Neue Klasse, the i3 sits on the Gen6 platform shared with the iX3 and targets more than 500 miles of range, backed by 800V hardware for charging speeds up to 400kW. It’s the first electric saloon of the new era and the one that must feel like a proper 3 Series from behind the wheel.
Under the skin, a centralised electronic architecture replaces a tangle of separate control units, allowing faster responses from chassis, powertrain and braking. BMW’s so-called Heart of Joy coordinates those systems, blending recuperation and friction braking so seamlessly that the car can harvest the vast majority of stopping energy without fuss. The result is calmer progress in traffic and a powertrain that wastes less heat and brake dust.
Performance will span from efficient everyday variants to a hot electric M3 in due course, with the launch i3 expected to mirror the iX3 50 xDrive’s dual-motor punch. The saloon’s slipperier shape should stretch range beyond the SUV’s figure, giving BMW a strong answer to incoming electric rivals from Mercedes-Benz and Audi, as well as the established players from California and China.
Inside, Panoramic iDrive pushes key information into the driver’s eyeline with a pillar-to-pillar display and clean steering-wheel controls, reducing the need to burrow into menus. Familiar 3 Series proportions remain—Hofmeister kink included—but the surfacing is cleaner and the grille treatment reinterpreted for the new family face.
Crucially, the i3 is the spearhead for a broader roll-out. BMW plans dozens of new and refreshed models by 2027 that adopt the same software-defined backbone, whether powered by batteries or fuel. If the i3 delivers the steering feel, body control and long-legged stride expected of a 3 Series, it will do more than add range; it will set the template for the next wave of Munich’s saloons.
