Images purportedly showing the production version of the new electric 3 Series, the 2027 BMW i3, have leaked online two days before its official reveal due on March 18.
Designated NA0, the i3 is the second new model to feature BMW’s Neue Klasse philosophy after the iX3 medium SUV, and the first interpretation of it on a sedan. It will be joined by a combustion version, which is to be revealed later in the year.
Pictures of a dark blue, possibly M-specced sedan (i3 50 xDrive) show a radical rethink in BMW’s design language, after decades of oversized grilles to appease mainly status-seekers and Chinese tastes.
The horizontal kidneys feature two fang-like DRLs on either side, which give a feel reminiscent of the hallowed E21 and E30 3 Series models. Pumped wheelarches front and rear are hunkered over very large, snowflake style alloy wheels, with clean body surfacing and a similar Hoffmeister kink plastic panel on the C-pillar to the 5 Series. At the rear, frowning trapezoids flank horizontal taillight bars, book-ending a BMW badge.
The interior is broadly similar to the iX3, encompassing a four-spoke steering wheel, BMW’s Panoramic Vision full-width HUD strip, 3D HUD, and 17.9-inch display running BMW Operating System X.
Underneath, BMW has previously confirmed an 800V architecture capable of 400kW DC fast charging, with up to 345kW and 645Nm for the ’50 xDrive’ variant, delivered to the front and rear wheels via BMW’s Heart of Joy control unit. Air suspension may even feature on some top models. While drag coefficient is yet-to-be-published, the iX3, for reference, is 0.24.
More will be revealed on Wednesday, followed by the combustion-engine version (expected to be called G50), the ‘i3 M’ with quad motors, and the petrol M3, expected to be designated G84 and powered by an efficiency-optimised version of the S58 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six.
