√2022 BMW i3 revealed as electric 3 Series for China

Thought the BMW i3 badge was dead? Not so fast; it will continue on only in China on the electric version of the long-wheelbase 3 Series sedan – and it’s a preview of the Australia-bound 3 Series facelift, due this year.

The BMW i3 electric car nameplate will live on – but the new vehicle it’s affixed to is a vast departure from the funky city car known to local buyers.

While the nameplate is currently applied to a quirky (but ageing) city hatchback with rear-hinged doors and a bespoke carbon-fibre chassis, the new BMW i3 is an electric version of the popular 3 Series sedan, built exclusively in long-wheelbase guise for the Chinese market.

As a result, the new i3 (codenamed G28) isn’t bound for Australian showrooms, with BMW’s local arm to instead focus on the i4 liftback – twinned with the new i3, but more closely linked with the petrol-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe – which went on sale last month.

Revealed overnight, the new i3 mirrors other BMW i models in only differing slightly from its standard 3 Series counterpart, with tweaks limited to closed-off grille inserts, aerodynamic alloy wheels, blue accents and, based on images published in China last year, a new rear bumper.

While the headlight graphics, front bumper and shape of the ‘kidney grilles’ are also unique, these will carry across to the broader petrol-powered 3 Series range for its mid-life facelift (or ‘LCI’), due for reveal within months, ahead of the first cars rolling off the production line this July.

No images of the interior have been released, though BMW says it incorporates brand’s iDrive 8 infotainment system, likely pairing a 12.3-inch instrument display with a 14.9-inch central touchscreen, per the i4. This system is expected to appear in the facelifted 3 Series later this year.

Other tech highlights include “cutting-edge digital features and services”, including a digital key controlled via the owner’s phone. There’s 410 litres of boot space behind the rear seats, down from 480 litres in the petrol-powered model.

Leaked details suggest available features in China will include a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, a choice of 18-inch or 19-inch alloy wheels, and air suspension on the rear axle.

Only one powertrain option has been detailed for the new i3, the eDrive35L, powered by a 210kW/400Nm electric motor driving the rear axle, connected to a 66.1kWh (net, or 70.3kWh gross) lithium-ion battery positioned under the floor.

BMW quotes a 6.2-second dash from zero to 100km/h. Claimed driving range according to lenient CLTC test procedures is rated at 526km – 99km less than an i4 eDrive40 using the same procedures, a vehicle which quotes 493-590km according to Europe’s more stringent WLTP standards.

DC fast charging is available in the i3, albeit at only up to 95kW – down from the i4’s 205kW peak – good for a 10 to 80 per cent fast charge in 35 minutes, or 97km of additional CLTC range after 10 minutes of charging. 11kW AC home charging is also standard.

Chinese buyers seeking more power and range may soon be able to order a pricier i3 eDrive40L variant, according to insider sources, with the same 250kW electric motor and 80kWh battery as the i4 eDrive40.

While extensive prototype testing has been conducted in Europe over the last year, BMW says “fine tuning of the BMW i3 eDrive35L’s suspension systems to Chinese road conditions has been carried out by the BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd [the company’s Chinese joint-venture partner]”.

The first customer examples of the new 2022 BMW i3 sedan are due to enter Chinese showrooms this May, with production already believed to be underway at the BMW Brilliance Automotive factory in Shenyang, China – alongside the Australia-bound iX3 medium SUV.

That means both the new i3 sedan and old i3 hatchback will be sold concurrently – albeit on different sides of the world – until production of the latter ceases in July.

This is likely to be a first for the German car maker, which has long shied away from reusing old model names on unrelated vehicles – most notably with the 1970s M1 supercar, and the M-badged 1 Series coupe of 2011, which was forced to adopt the 1 Series M Coupe name (rather than M1).

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