The New BMW i3 EV Leaks Before Tomorrow’s Unveil

BMW will officially unveil the new i3 (internal designation NA0) on March 18th, but instead of an unusual electric hatchback, a completely different vehicle is now arriving with this name.

This is the first sedan from the modern Neue Klasse line, which was announced back in 2023 with the Vision Neue Klasse concept.

The first i3 sedan for global markets will inherit the dual-motor system from its crossover sibling. BMW lists an identical 469 horsepower and 645 Nm of torque. However, it said these are provisional figures. Accordingly, there could be some changes when series production begins in the second half of the year.

The i3 is expected to be powered by the sixth generation of eDrive technology with all-new motors and round battery cells.

The Gen6 battery will support 400 kW charging thanks to the 800-volt electrical architecture pioneered by the iX3.

The iX3 50 xDrive covers 805 kilometers on a single charge in the WLTP cycle. The i3 should beat these figures, although probably not by much. Of course, that’s assuming the sedan uses the same 108.7 kWh battery pack as the crossover.

The new i3 sedan goes on sale in Europe later this year, with a U.S. arrival in 2027. Just as the iX3 lineup will expand to include more variants, so will the sedans. The initial i3 50 xDrive is believed to be positioned between the 40/40 xDrive and 50/50 xDrive variants.

An M Performance-badged i3 M60 is likely in the works before the electric M3 (ZA0) arrives late next year. At the other end of the spectrum, some markets could also get the base i3 20, although that hasn’t been confirmed yet.

The new i3 is a big deal, and not just because of its technical specifications. It will feature a completely new design language and a radical interior, with iDrive X at the center of attention. As we saw with the iX3, the Panoramic Vision pillar-to-pillar projection will be standard across the range. It will replace the traditional instrument cluster and stretch across the dashboard to display all kinds of content, which the user can select from the main screen.

If you’d rather stick with internal combustion engines, the next 3 Series won’t be far behind. The G50 will look largely the same inside and out, albeit with a longer front end. The 3 Series, built in Dingolfing, is also arriving this year, making 2026 an unprecedentedly busy year for BMW.

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