BMW i3 Review & Prices

The new BMW i3 isn’t a revival of the quirky electric hatchback BMW used to sell. This time around, it’s essentially an electric 3 Series saloon, which means it has one of the toughest jobs in the entire BMW range.

The 3 Series has always been one of BMW’s defining cars, and as a result it needs to do it all - entertaining for keen drivers, classy enough for executives, spacious enough for family transport and posh enough to earn its premium price tag. Electrifying it is a bit like remaking The Italian Job - there’s nothing wrong with giving an old favourite a modern makeover, but you really don’t want to lose what made people love it in the first place.

Alternatives include the new Mercedes C-Class Electric as well as the ever-present Tesla Model 3. But the Hyundai Ioniq 6, Volkswagen ID7 and Polestar 2 should also be on your radar. However, if outright range on a charge is high on your priority list, the BMW has an enormous advantage over all of them.

Headline numbers for the i3 make an extremely strong first impression. Officially it offers up to 567 miles of range, charging speeds as high as 400kW and in its potent 50 xDrive form, two electric motors producing a whopping 463hp - that means 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds.

Better still, it’s one of the smartest-looking BMWs we’ve seen for quite some time. BMW hasn’t exactly been a shrinking violet in the design department over recent years, but the new i3 takes a much cleaner approach than eye-catchers like the XM, 7 Series and even the new iX3 SUV.

Rather than a pair of enormous upright ‘kidney’ grilles, there are two dark panels running across the nose. The front itself leans forward in a nod to classic BMW saloons, and this helps the i3 look low, purposeful and muscular without relying on oversized fake vents or lots of unnecessary trim.

It even looks good from the side. Where plenty of electric cars end up looking too tall due to the batteries contained in their floors, the i3 has the long, sleek profile you’d expect of a proper sports saloon. It’s simple, tidy and very well proportioned.

BMW i3: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 567 miles
Efficiency: 5.2 miles per kWh
Battery size: 108.7kWh
Max charge speed: 400kW
Charge time AC: 15.5 hours, 0-100%, 7kW
Charge time DC: 21 mins, 10-80%, 400kW
Charge port location: Right side rear
Power outputs: 463hp

The interior borrows heavily from the BMW iX3, including BMW’s enormous Panoramic iDrive display running across the bottom of the windscreen. We’ve only spent time in a pre-production i3 so far, meaning not all of its technology was operational, but the same setup works impressively in the iX3 and gives the interior a suitably futuristic appearance.

The driving position feels suitably BMW-like as well. You sit nice and low, there’s plenty of adjustment and the minimalist dashboard wraps around you neatly. There’s an awful lot of information competing for your attention, though, between the panoramic display, central touchscreen and head-up display, so it may take some time to acclimate. The steering wheel is another acquired taste, with unusual spokes positioned at six and twelve ‘o’ clock, but otherwise it’s a very slick cabin.

Practicality is perfectly adequate rather than outstanding. It’s a conventional saloon rather than a hatchback, so loading bulky luggage won’t be as straightforward as it is in the hatchback Polestar 2 or Volkswagen ID7. Even so, there should be enough room for the i3 to work well as a car for a small family, and there’s always the larger iX3 if you need more room.

Better yet, BMW has already confirmed an i3 Touring (estate) which will be the version to wait for if carrying dogs, pushchairs or lots of luggage is a regular requirement.

Battery range is where the i3 really separates itself from the pack. The i3 50 xDrive uses a huge 108.7kWh battery and has an official WLTP range of up to 567 miles, putting it among the longest-range electric cars available in the UK. In fact, only the much more expensive Mercedes EQS goes further on paper.

Charging performance is similarly impressive. Hook the BMW up to a sufficiently powerful charger and it can accept up to 400kW, and BMW claims you can add as much as 263 miles of range in only 10 minutes.

We haven’t driven the i3 yet, so it remains to be seen whether it can preserve the handling qualities that have made generations of 3 Series so appealing. There are reasons to be hopeful, though - the latest iX3 is very closely related and manages to feel impressively agile and light on its feet for such a big, heavy car. Putting similar hardware under a lower and lighter saloon sounds like a promising starting point.

Performance certainly won’t be lacking. The i3 50 xDrive which is the sole powertrain available at launch has four-wheel drive and gets from 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds, which is seriously rapid. A less powerful single-motor model is likely to join the range afterwards, as it has with the iX3.

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The new BMW i3 officially starts at £53,005 in the UK for the i3 50 xDrive, which is initially the only powertrain available. That puts it above a Tesla Model 3 on price, but below the equivalent Mercedes C-Class Electric while offering considerably more official range.

There’s also an i3 First Edition costing from £57,905. It adds electrically adjustable seats, three-zone climate control, sun-protection glass and a heated steering wheel, as well as a 3D head-up display and Harman Kardon stereo.

You also get an electrically opening boot and upgraded 22kW AC charging in place of the standard car’s 11kW capability. For the initial period after launch, this First Edition will be the only version actually available to buy.