The BMW i4 made headlines only a few short years ago as one of BMW’s first serious forays into the EV world. There were cars before it, sure. But the i4 was BMW’s first crack at an EV beyond niche appeal a la the BMW i3. Which brings us to our topic today: the new BMW i3 sedan. While unrelated to the clown car bearing the same badge, it’s sure to attract the same — or more — levels of scrutiny. The i3’s release is also a gut check for BMW’s EV tech. And when juxtaposed with the BMW i4, it’s a great barometer for just how far BMW’s design and EV tech has come.
Exterior Design
To this day, BMW’s second-generation 4 Series catches a lot of flack for its polarizing design. How ironic it is, then, to say that the new i3 sedan’s design is, well, divisive. However, it’s arguable that the electric 3 Series tones down the 4er’s most egregious design departure: its front grille. The Neue Klasse grille seems to be just as love-it-or-hate-it. An overall minimalist approach keeps the i3 looking a bit more conservative overall than the i4. Around back, I’m not quite sold that the i3’s design is an improvement. There’s a sculpted, monolithic design that I can appreciate. But I think the i4’s is a little bit more athletic. Surprisingly, the cars don’t look all that different from the side. The i3’s “2.5-box” design keeps it looking a little shorter than the i4.
Consulting the measurements, that seems to be exactly the case. The i3 sedan is a full inch shorter than the i4, although it’s slightly wider. It also sports a slightly longer wheelbase, 114.1 inches vs. the i4’s 112.4 inches. Its rear track is also marginally wider. I’ve always liked how the i4 looked, so I’m not sure how much of an improvement the i3 represents. Until I see the car in person, I’m calling this one a tie.
Interior Design
Like the car’s exterior, the i4 attracts mixed opinions thanks to its screen-forward interior. We’ll talk a little bit more about that aspect in the technology section. The steering wheel, like the rest of the cabin, goes under a polarizing redesign that includes fewer buttons but (supposedly) no less functionality. There are still physical controls in the cabin for the seats and windows. Interior options will be similar to the i4, and BMW adds M Performtex to the mix. Although the loss of some switchgear is sad, we’ll kind of have to wait and see how the i3’s interior feels from a quality standpoint before we call this one.
Performance
Less up for debate is performance. The i3 50 xDrive — the only version of the i3 BMW’s talking about right now — relies on dual electric motors developing 463 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque. That’s significantly more power than every version of the i4, save the M60 range-topper. It’s a similar story with range. The new i3 sedan delivers an impressive range of 440 miles. That tops the i4 by over 100 miles; the longest range comes from the i4 eDrive40, 333 miles. It’s no contest here: we expect the i3 to be a significantly better performer in almost every way than the i4.
Technology
While it would appear BMW downsized screen real estate in its newest EV, that’s only half-true. The central display now measures just over 17 inches, which is actually an increase from the outgoing model if you don’t include the gauge cluster. Speaking of gauge clusters, there’s none to speak of in the i3. Yet another divisive “improvement,” but BMW think its Panoramic Vision display will alleviate any concerns. As has been the case for quite some time, BMW’s newest EV include over the air updates, navigation, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, and lots of configurability when it comes to settings and ambient lighting. The biggest shift here will be an improved Digital Key function and, of course, interacting with the car via BMW iDrive X.
We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention BMW’s “Heart of Joy.” BMW says the high-tech wizardry delivers response times ten times faster than the old systems. That will pay dividends in performance and, of course, interacting with the car’s displays. In most areas, the i3 looks to be a significant jump forward. Design being subjective as it is, we don’t think it will hold the car back from greatness. What do you think?
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
Source: https://www.bmwblog.com/2026/03/18/bmw- ... tech-leap/