The electric BMW i3 is finally here, and the range is massive

BMW has just pulled the covers off the Neue Klasse i3 in Munich, and it looks like the German giant has finally thrown the gauntlet down. This isn’t just a 3 Series with some batteries shoved under the floor; it’s a ground-up rethink of BMW's most famous badge. 

Here’s the lowdown on what you need to know before it hits Kiwi shores in early 2027.

New Zealand is currently getting the one i3 model, the 50 xDrive. Currently the range-topper, it uses two electric motors -  one on the front axle and one on the rear - to generate 345kW and 645Nm of torque. Sprint times aren’t official yet but we’re expecting around four seconds to 100kph. That’s plenty of poke for the school run or the motorway merge, but if it's not quite enough for you, an even more powerful M variant is in the works. It should debut sometime around 2028.

Driving range is a claimed 900km (on the WLTP cycle), which is pretty staggering. BMW is generally fairly accurate with its range claims, so even if you shave off 10% a more conservative figure, that’s still a lot of distance between plugs. Somewhat strangely, BMW hasn't said what size the battery is, but considering the close relations between the i3 and the iX3 we'd expect something around the 100kWh mark. For reference, the iX3’s pack is 108kWh.

It uses new cylindrical NMC cells with around 30% of the raw materials recycled. Speaking of which, around 90% of the battery can be recycled and reused after i3 duties have been fulfilled.

Helping range is a smooth underbody and a more rakish profile. This was achieved by the new platform allowing the front seats to be bolted directly to the battery pack, which in turn drops the roofline while keeping the same interior space. Clever.

Up to 400km of range can be generated in just 10 minutes on a 400kW DC fast charger, enabled through a brand new 800V subsystem. New Zealand doesn't yet have 400kW charging but the ChargeNet hyperchargers get close enough. 

All of that is well and good, but the big ticket is the design of the first Neue Klasse sedan.

Visually, BMW is moving away from the rather short-lived "giant grille" era and into something a bit more cohesive. Essentially that means it’s got a short nose, a long wheelbase, and a silhouette that feels a bit more "classic BMW" than some of their recent, perhaps more polarizing efforts.

Think the already revealed iX3 draped overtop a 2.5-box design. The headlights and grille have merged into one wide, digital signature. It’s clean, it’s sharp, and it looks significantly more modern than the current G20 generation with those LED headlights mimicking the kidney grille and the extra-wide taillights. 

Inside is BMW's new Panoramic iDrive system, which projects key information onto the lower edge of the windshield, sort of like a full-width head-up display, and the new four-spoke steering wheel. Expect plenty of leather mixed with sustainable materials.

Under the skin, BMW is touting a new central computer system they’ve nicknamed the "Heart of Joy." It’s ten times faster than their previous tech and basically controls everything within the car, along with three other “superbrain” high-performance computers.

While that sounds like marketing fluff, what it actually means is a car that reacts to your steering and throttle inputs with zero lag. BMW says it’s all about maintaining that "Sheer Driving Pleasure" DNA in a world of heavy batteries, and that this is the best driving 3 Series yet. Though, to be fair, BMW hasn't really escaped the weight thing. Executives shied away from giving an exact figure but confirmed the i3 is somewhere below the iX3 but above the two-tonne mark.

Production kicks off in Munich in August 2026, which means we won't see right-hand drive units in New Zealand until early 2027. Price is also yet to be confirmed.