2027 BMW i3 ‘Neue Klasse’ Electric Sedan Is Truly Something New
The i3 debuts as a sibling to the iX3 SUV and the electric analog to the 3-series sedan, marking several changes for BMW.
By Joe LorioPublished: Mar 18, 2026
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The 2027 BMW i3 is a new mid-size electric sedan that shares a newly developed architecture with the BMW iX3 SUV.
The new i3 is roughly the size of the gas-powered 3-series, but the EV launches with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain that makes 463 hp.
The i3 is set to go on sale later this year, though BMW hasn’t yet released pricing.
BMW’s \”Neue Klasse\” mid-size cars of the 1960s saved the company. Now, BMW is using that term again, this time for a new generation of electric vehicles: the iX3 SUV and the i3 mid-size sedan. Their mission isn’t quite as critical as their predecessors’, but there’s still a lot riding on this latest new class of cars.
The i3 Returns in a Neue Way
The i3 is a nameplate we’ve seen before—on another pioneering model, a quirky city car offered as a pure EV or with an optional range extender. The new one is unrelated to the previous model. Instead, the model designation identifies it as the EV counterpart to the 3-series sedan, in the same way the i5 is analogous to the 5-series and the i7 to the 7-series. Compared with the current 3-series, the i3 is 1.6 inches longer overall, 1.5 inches wider, and 1.6 inches taller. It sits astride a wheelbase that has grown by nearly 2 inches.
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BMW
Whereas the i5 and the i7 use the same platform as their gas-engine counterparts, the i3 uses a new platform unrelated to the 3-series. This one, used also by the iX3, features an 800-volt electrical architecture that’s capable of ingesting juice at up to 400 kW (should we someday have public chargers that powerful). An NACS port is standard, with CCS compatibility via an adapter. The top AC charger in the U.S. will be a 15.4-kW unit. Its battery pack, which is a structural element in the car, has cells that are 20 percent more energy dense than those in the bigger BMW EVs; total battery capacity is 109 kWh. BMW estimates a maximum range of around 440 miles based on the EPA’s testing procedure.
In the i3 50 xDrive model, those cells feed two motors that produce 463 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque (output for other i3 models hasn’t yet been revealed). The computing power behind the i3 is new as well, consisting of four supercomputers, each controlling a group of functions. They’re claimed to have 20 times the computing power of past models, while also reducing weight and complexity.
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A Look Inside the i3
The i3’s interior layout echoes that of the iX3 and marks a major departure from other current Bimmers. A shallow screen at the base of the windshield spans the width of the dashboard. BMW calls it Panoramic iDrive. The screen is divided into sections, with the part immediately in front of the driver showing instrument-cluster info, such as vehicle speed, while the information in the other sections is customizable. There’s also a nearly 18-inch center touchscreen; its parallelogram shape is designed to put more functions within easy reach of the driver. A head-up display is available too. The novel steering wheel features spokes at the top and bottom, but not at the sides. If that’s too weird, an optional M Sport steering wheel has spokes at the 4- and 8-o’clock positions.
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BMW
Despite the newness contained within, the i3 exterior is designed to comfortably reassure the BMW faithful. There are twin kidney grilles (which can be illuminated) and four-element headlights, although rather than being round, they have a sort of sideways checkmark shape. The whole front fascia leans slightly into the wind at a 6-degree angle, echoing the classic shark-nose BMWs of the 1970s and ’80s. This new interpretation of classic BMW cues is the \”start of a new form language for the entire brand,\” says Anders Warming, head of BMW’s Designworks.\n\nThe 3-series has long been seen as BMW’s core model, but it looks like that might soon change. BMW refers to the Neue Klasse cars as \”the new heart of the BMW brand.\”
