First Drive: Can BMW’s i3 deliver the real 3 Series experience?

What is it?

Naturally then, BMW has taken things cautiously when it comes to making an electric version. We’ve had the i4, i5, i7 and so on, but until now the 3 Series has stayed strictly with petrol and diesel power.

But now, those boffins in Bavaria have decided the time is right: launching the new i3 as part of its big ‘Neue Klasse’ model overhaul that’s also brought us the excellent iX3.

What’s new?

Neue Klasse brings a new exterior design, harking back to BMWs of the 1960s and 70s, but with a decidedly futuristic twist. The technology on board is also brand new: BMW says that they started ‘with a blank sheet of paper’ when it came to things like the infotainment system. The i3 also gets ‘Panoramic Vision’, a sort of floating display that spans the entire width of the windscreen.

What’s under the bonnet?

The 40 gets a total of 369bhp, with 0-60 taken care of in 5.4 seconds. The 50 meanwhile bumps this up to 462bhp, and a 0-60 of 4.7 seconds.

Range is very impressive on either version: the i3 40 gets up to 441 miles, and the 50 gets a staggering 566 miles maximum range. Right now, that’s the longest range of any electric car on sale in the UK.

Charging is super speedy, with all i3s getting 800v technology. Going from 10 – 80 % on a suitable rapid charger takes 21 minutes in either version of the i3 – though if you’ve managed to exhaust the i3’s enormous battery in one go, you’re likely to be glad of a break from driving.

What’s it like to drive?

Steering has that typical BMW precision, and is sensibly weighted without feeling artificial. The accelerator and brakes are very well judged, with the latter feeling almost identical to the petrol-powered car – despite the i3 having to blend between proper discs and regenerative braking.

What’s more, it’s supremely refined. This is a car that can eat up motorway miles with ease, and although the cars we drove didn’t have the optional adaptive dampers, they rode reasonably well around town – for a large EV, that is.

The i3 does miss out on some of the theatre of BMW’s gorgeous straight-six engines, but you do at least get the option of some audible feedback, with the option to turn on BMW’s whooshy, warp-speed-like sounds that appear under hard acceleration.

Despite its performance too, even the 462bhp 50 isn’t part of BMW’s M-badged range. In effect, these are just the hum-drum ‘normal’ versions of the i3 – a sportier M60 version will follow, and more than likely an even more aggressive i3 M some time after that.

The only fly in the ointment is the driving position. You sit noticeably higher than the regular 3 Series, and indeed higher than in many similarly-sized EVs. If you prefer a slightly elevated seat, then great, but those blessed with being six foot or over might find their heads getting rather well acquainted with the headlining.

How does it look?

BMW has done well to hide the i3’s substantially sized battery pack too. While it looks a shade taller and shorter than a regular 3 Series, it doesn’t have the big-battery-under-the-floor appearance of cars like the i5 and i7.

Less convincing is the rear of the car. BMW has resisted the urge to throw in a full-width light bar, but in a way they might as well have: the rear lamps stretch awkwardly across the back of the car, looking like an unfortunate homage to the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

On the whole though, it’s a good-looking car – and if history has taught us one thing, it’s that challenging design choices from BMW often age very well indeed.

What’s it like inside?

For starters, there’s a steering wheel shaped like, well, no other steering wheel imaginable. Ergonomically, it does sort of work, but if you’re used to the classically circular designs of previous BMWs, this one is going to be a shock.

Then there’s the ‘Panoramic Vision’ – a sort of giant head-up display that’s projected onto a black strip across the full width of the windscreen. It can do a whole manner of different things, but permanently displays things like the speedometer, battery percentage and driving range, along with a pretty detailed set of sat nav directions.

In case that wasn’t enough, there’s a pretty substantially-sized touch screen in the centre of the dash, and the option of a smaller, more traditional head-up display on the windscreen.

The quality of materials across the cabin is pretty good, and it’s nice to see BMW offering a whole range of different colours for the seats and dash – including white, red and a khaki-ish green, as well as the usual black.

It all feels pretty spacious up front, and there’s a decent feeling of being cocooned in the car without feeling hemmed in. Rear space is less sparkling, with a floor that’s a little too high, and roof a little too low, for adult passengers to be comfortable on long journeys.

What’s the spec like?

There are a few daft things, mind – a big one being the Tesla-style vent adjustment that can only happen through the touch screen. It’s pointless, tricky to use, and simply technology for the sake of technology.

BMW deserves a round of applause for its semi-autonomous driving features, though. With adaptive cruise control switched on, the i3 can not only steer you within your lane hands-free, but also change lanes for you – activated simply by looking in your right or left mirror. We tried it out on several stretches of French motorway, and its abilities are eerily good: completely intuitive, and buttery smooth in terms of operation.

There are three trim levels in the UK: Base, M Sport and M Sport Pro, with even the cheapest models getting things like electrically adjustable heated front seats, a wireless phone charger, parking sensors and a panoramic camera view.

A £1,700 technology pack adds Harmon Kardon speakers, head-up display and three-zone climate control, while £925 gets you the aforementioned ‘Motorway Assistant’ lane-changing tech.

Verdict

You can see why BMW waited until now to launch a true electric 3 Series – in doing so, they’ve managed to (mostly) condense the essence of its most famous model into an all-electric version.

It drives brilliantly, has a fabulous interior with some seriously impressive tech, and to top it all off, an incredible 500+ mile range between charges. It’s not just a great EV, but a great 3 Series too.