BMW i3 Sedan Signals Marque’s Renewed Faith In Saloons

BMW says the saloon still matters, and the forthcoming BMW i3 Sedan leads that charge. Fresh off the iX3’s debut, Munich is doubling down on four doors with a clear message: the classic three-box shape remains central to the brand’s DNA. The i3 Sedan will join a line-up that already spans 3 Series, 4 Series Gran Coupé, 5 Series and 7 Series, showing that BMW intends to keep the long bonnet, tidy overhangs and balanced wheelbase that drivers associate with precise turn-in and composed motorway manners.

Design chief Oliver Heilmer has signalled a calmer, more refined design language ahead. Expect the kidney grille to evolve rather than dominate, with proportions doing the heavy lifting. That approach suits a saloon: cleaner aero surfaces, crisp shut lines and a stance that communicates stability before the wheels even move. The goal is simple—use restraint to highlight engineering, not camouflage it.

Under the skin, the i3 Sedan is set to showcase the Neue Klasse toolkit: sixth-gen eDrive hardware, a modern electronics backbone and intelligent energy management. Think linear pedal response, confident regen calibration and chassis tuning that keeps body control tight without sacrificing ride compliance. It’s the sort of powertrain logic that makes daily driving effortless—quiet cruising, brisk overtakes and predictable behaviour in poor weather, all delivered with BMW’s familiar rear-biased dynamics.

BMW’s commitment goes beyond a single model cycle. Alongside the i3 Sedan, updates to the 5 Series and 7 Series are in the pipeline, and a new 3 Series with internal-combustion power will run in parallel with electric variants. Performance derivatives remain part of the plan too, ensuring that buyers who value rev character, steering feedback and long-distance comfort won’t be funnelled into one body style or propulsion type. In short, BMW isn’t walking away from saloons; it’s engineering them for the next decade, with the i3 Sedan as the headline act.