New BMW i3 2026 review: drives just like an electric 3 Series should
We get behind the wheel of the new BMW i3 to see if it's as good as it looks on paper
Verdict
The iX3 introduced us to BMW’s groundbreaking Neue Klasse future in sensational fashion and with the new BMW i3, the momentum is maintained. It’s not as practical as the iX3, especially in the back, but a Touring model should alleviate some of those quibbles next year. As for the rest of the i3, it’s supremely well equipped, boasts a cutting-edge, well thought out cabin, plus it smashes its rivals for range and offers competitive charging. Above all, it drives just as a 3 Series should.
The third model in BMW’s all-important Neue Klasse generation of electric cars is here, and it has the rather significant task of taking the 3 Series and making it electric.
Following on from the iX3 and iX5, the i3 essentially replaces the old i4 and already has fresh competition in the shape of this year’s new Mercedes C-Class Electric and the Lexus ES, plus the usual mix of electric executives such as the ever-popular Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Polestar 2.
First off, let’s deal with the name. Many of you might remember the old but highly innovative i3 sold from 2013 until 2022 as a pure-electric and range-extender hybrid. While that car may have been rather quirky (albeit excellent), the new i3 has a different remit in that it has to convince the same customers as the regular 3 Series.
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We’ve had a while to digest the looks of the i3, which adheres to the taut and compact styling of its concept forebear, the 2023 i Vision Dee. In the metal and, more importantly, next to its combustion-engined cousin, the new 3 Series, the differences are very hard to spot. With no longitudinal engine, there’s a shorter bonnet. Overall, though, the Neue Klasse styling shared with the iX3, iX5 and most future BMWs suits the proportions of the i3 brilliantly.
To compete with those aforementioned electric rivals and indeed the 3 Series, the i3 has to have the numbers to back it up. Kicking things off at £47,975 (£3,000 more than a 320 petrol) is the creatively named Base, with the 40 xDrive configuration. This has up to 436 miles of range from an 82.8kWh battery, plus two electric motors for 386bhp and a peppy 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds.
The only other option for now is the i3 50 xDrive, which costs an extra £5,500. You do get quite a lot for that premium – a 112kWh battery for starters, which allows for up to 566 miles of range. That’s 100 miles more than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range and 102 miles up on the electric Mercedes C-Class. It’s also greater than the £100,000 Mercedes EQS (542 miles), making the i3 50 xDrive the longest-range EV you can buy in the UK.
Along with the big battery, the secret to the i3’s efficiency lies in its electronic brain, a system BMW calls Heart of Joy. It connects all the i3’s electronics, powertrain, brakes, infotainment system, automatic lights and autonomous driving features into one tech stack. In the real world, we achieved a high of 4.7 miles per kWh when cruising along the motorway, which would comfortably see over 500 miles on a charge. After some countryside and town driving, the average dropped to 3.7 miles per kWh, resulting in a predicted range of 414 miles.
Charging is impressive, too, if not world-beating. A maximum 400kW isn’t up there with BYD’s incredible 1,500kW Flash Charging set-up, but if you can find a suitable charger, you’re unlikely to take issue with the top-up speeds, with 10-80 per cent achievable in 21 minutes.
The 462bhp i3 50 xDrive’s 4.7-second 0-62mph sprint isn’t as stomach-churning as some rivals. Rather than straight-line speed, BMW’s focus has been on taking the same legendary driving dynamics that have made the 3 Series such a success over the decades and incorporating them into the EV.
As well as streamlining the i3’s efficiency, the Heart of Joy also dictates the driving experience by taking data from the electric motors, braking recuperation and steering to improve agility, stability and overall smoothness.
Despite its completely different Neue Klasse platform, the i3 feels remarkably similar to the new 3 Series from behind the wheel, with a slimmer seat base helping to ensure the two cars’ driving positions are well matched.
The same, cutting-edge Panoramic iDrive dash layout as the 3 Series (and all Neue Klasse cars) is spread out in front, with a huge 17.9-inch touchscreen in the middle. It takes a while to sort out your preferences, but it’s an outstanding set-up once you’re acquainted with it. While packaging up front is excellent, in the rear there’s not as much foot space as we’d like, and boot capacity is down on the 3 Series by 30 litres, at a fairly poor 420 litres. The opening is slightly wider in the EV, though.
BMW has done a superb job in calibrating the throttle, brakes and steering to mirror that of the 3 Series – which we know from our experience of the new M350 is no bad thing. You can choose from the usual mix of driving modes, but the i3 always feels like a 3 Series. The steering has natural weight, which gives you accurate and direct control whether you’re pottering around town, cruising serenely on the motorway or exploring BMW’s claims of ‘new dynamic standards’ on a back road.
The car we tested sat on passive suspension, which dealt with rougher surfaces extremely well, although over speed bumps, potholes and undulations, the i3’s 2,205kg kerbweight – some 345kg more than the 3 Series – makes itself known.
Keen drivers will be tempted by the optional £775 M adaptive set-up, which felt wonderful in the petrol-powered M350 we tested. Despite the i3’s weight, it’s simply brilliant in the bends, with an incredible lack of roll or fidgeting from the chassis. It’s not quite as chuckable as a petrol 3 Series, but the i3 will still be rewarding to carve down your favourite road.
A hot M60 will come soon to rival the M350, as will a fully fledged electric M3. The greatest compliment we can pay to this i3 in 50 xDrive form is that we can’t wait to try both of those cars.
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| Model: | BMW i3 50 xDrive M Sport |
| Price: | £54,925 |
| Powertrain: | 112kWh battery, 2x motor |
| Power/torque: | 462bhp/645Nm |
| Transmission: | Single-speed automatic, all-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph/top speed: | 4.7 seconds/124mph |
| Range: | 566 miles |
| Max charging: | 400kW (10-80% in 21 mins) |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,760/2,897/1,480mm |
| On sale: | Now |
