BMW i3 (2027-onwards) Review

The BMW i3 is a hugely important car for BMW. It heralds the eighth generation of the brand's legendary 3 Series, and does so with brazen styling and – crucially – it's the first all-electric 3er. If you don't want an EV then fear not, because the 3 Series is still available with four- and six-cylinder petrol engines in a car that looks almost exactly like this shark-nosed new EV.

The i3 then. It's one of the best mid-size electric cars we've ever driven. The headline range figure of 566 miles might be more like 480 in the real world, but that still makes it one of the longest-legged EVs ever made. It's backed up by a driving experience that's enjoyably sporty, refinement that makes motorway cruises relaxing, and there's just enough rear-seat space to carry four adults. Tick, tick, tick.

The cabin's packed with BMW's latest tech, including a lozenge-shaped infotainment screen that's loaded with an AI assistant, and the iX3's panoramic iDrive display also makes a reappearance. This is a thin screen that runs along the base of the windscreen and helps keep your eyes on the road while still giving you all the info you could need. 

Unlike so many modern cars, all this tech works seamlessly, and you'll be amazed at how accurately the automatic regenerative braking second-guesses how and when you need to slow down. It's good enough you'll almost forget about the brake pedal. 

Perhaps the i3's only real weakness is that the driver's seat doesn't quite go low enough. The styling is a tad divisive, and you could argue that the Tesla Model 3 is cheaper… but the Model 3 feels a generation behind the BMW. 

The i3's interior makes the previous-generation 3 Series feel as high-tech as a Biffa bin behind Camden tube station. This is BMW's  Neue Klasse (new class) in action, and the i3 nicks nearly everything from the very impressive iX3, including the overall airy feel. Materials feel pleasant throughout the cabin, and we especially like the knitted wool atop the doors. Interior colour options extend beyond the usual greys and blacks, with olive green, white and ochre upholstery making an appearance on the options list.

In terms of the tech, you get a large trapezoidal infotainment screen and no traditional screen behind the steering wheel. This function is replaced by the panoramic iDrive display running along the base of the windscreen. Sounds a bit naff on paper, but this sliver of screen actually appears to be buried in the void under the rear edge of the bonnet, and it's divided into three parts: the bit in front of the driver shows your speed and the current speed limit. The central section can show you your trip stats, your navigation directions or your media, while the passenger's section can be customised to show navigation data or other customisable widgets.

Although the panoramic iDrive does a great job of keeping your eyes on the road, you can still order the i3 with a huge head-up display which makes good use of augmented reality to project turn arrows onto the windscreen to help you follow directions.

Traditional infotainment duties are taken up by a 17.9-inch screen, which is angled towards the driver a bit more than in the iX3. You get your usual wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto facilities, as well as a conversational AI assistant powered by Alexa+, allowing you to ask all sorts of banal questions about the universe, the continued popularity of the Jaecoo 7, Greggs sausage roll ingredients and more.

BMW's software boffins have done a good job of streamlining the number of icons on screen, making it easy to find what you're looking for without the tsunami of icons we saw in the previous-generation 3 Series. Sadly you do have to use the screen to adjust the temperature which can be tricky while driving, but the controls are always on show at the bottom of the display. Likewise, a small column of always-on shortcut buttons at the right-hand side can be used to turn off driver assistance systems, including the speed-limit warning bong.

The tech-fest continues with the steering wheel. The controversially styled wheel from the iX3 makes a return, with vertical as well as horizontal spokes, but it's much more pleasant to hold than you'd think, with natural places to rest your thumbs. You can spec a more traditional two-spoke wheel, which is included as standard in M Sport Pro models, and it's thinner than the chunky standard item.

Whichever wheel you pick, you get BMW's 'Shy Tech' buttons – which means the buttons on the steering wheel only illuminate when their function is relevant. The cruise control buttons only appear when you're on the move, and parking functions only light up when you're at low speed. We'd argue the buttons themselves look a bit cheap – the plastic reminds us of the bottom of a fruit corner yoghurt pot. 

Other tech includes the ability to use your phone or smartwatch as a car key. It'll automatically move your seat into your preferred position and welcome you by name on the central screen, and you can share the digital key using messaging apps on your phone.

The BMW i3 may be full of all-singing, all-dancing technology, but it's still a mid-size saloon car at heart, and that comes with a few compromises on the practicality side of things – starting with the boot.

The saloon boot on the i3 may have an electric-opening lid, but it's still not as practical as a wide-opening hatchback boot. You get 420 litres of space (30 litres down on a petrol-powered 3 Series), but that's somewhat offset by a 31-litre frunk on the i3 – ideal for stashing the charging cable away.

Back inside, there's plenty of storage in the i3's cabin, including big door bins and a decent-size glovebox. We were slightly surprised that the driver's seat doesn't go lower on its rails – this is perhaps the only part of the car that doesn't feel quite as sporty as the previous generation 3 Series, which was famed for its low, sporty driving position. As a result you do feel a bit more perched on top of the i3 than sunk inside it.

Back-seat space in the i3, however, is good. Thanks to a wheelbase that's 4cm longer than the petrol 3 Series, there's enough legroom for a grown adult to sit behind a tall driver (it's certainly roomier than the back of the electric Mercedes C-Class), and headroom isn't an issue even with the panoramic sunroof. Big rear door bins and a couple of USB-C charging ports complete the picture.

Towing enthusiasts should note you can tow a 1.8-tonne braked trailer with the i3.

At launch there are two versions of the i3, with two different batteries and power outputs. 

The entry level 40 xDrive has 374hp and a 83kWh battery, good for 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds and 441 miles of range. 

Step up to the 50 xDrive and you get 469hp and a 108.7kWh battery, resulting in a 4.7-second 0-62mph time and that astonishing 566 miles of claimed range (which drops slightly if you choose wheels larger than the standard-fit 19s).

Both batteries can charge incredibly quickly at a public fast-charger – up to 400kW on the big battery and up to 300kW on the smaller one, with a 10-80% time of about 21 minutes in both cases. You can also opt to upgrade the 11kW built-in AC charger to a faster 22kW one if you so desire.

Over the years we've come to expect big things from the 3 Series in terms of driving dynamics – direct steering, a nimble-feeling chassis and predictable control responses. The new i3 achieves most of these things, which is impressive considering the 50 xDrive model weighs as much as 2.28 tonnes.

The steering feels direct and smoothly connected to the front axle, and the accelerator's long throw makes it easy to deploy power without any nasty surprises. Likewise the brake pedal elicits no sudden lurches as the car transitions from motor regen to using the brake discs and pads. 

Despite its weight, the i3 smothers bumps well. We only tested the car on its standard passive suspension setup, although there is an adaptive option that lets you tweak the ride comfort. We wouldn't bother with this because the standard setup works well enough.

Our 50 xDrive test car punched out of corners and away from a standstill with impressive thrust, but it doesn't have the whip-snap launch of a Tesla Model 3 – BMW is saving such shenanigans for the electric M3. 

Despite the dual-motor setup, the i3 still somehow feels like a 3 Series. The more powerful rear motor gives you that BMW sense of being pushed rather than pulled down the road, and you can detect a slight rear bias if you boot it out of a tight corner. The car doesn't roll too much, although you do feel the mass if you start piling into corners with too much speed.

On a motorway it's a calm, quiet and easy companion. The optional motorway assist system lets you change lanes simply by looking in the door mirrors when you're in autonomous driving mode, which is a neat trick (even though the option is a four-year subscription). The system also copes well on twisty country roads, requiring no steering or brake inputs to go between 60mph and 30mph limits – though you'll need to take over at junctions and roundabouts. We especially liked how the head-up display shows the upcoming corners on a twisty country road, giving you almost rally-car pace notes to help prepare yourself.