BMW i3 revealed: electric 3 Series coming to Oz in 2027

The first fully electric BMW 3 Series has finally been revealed.

Dubbed the BMW i3, which was revealed in Munich today, the mid-size luxury sedan enters production in August 2026 ahead of Australian deliveries kicking off in early 2027.

The i3 is the second model after the iX3 to be derived from BMW’s high-tech $17 billion Neue Klasse electric vehicle architecture. Combustion versions of the new 3 Series have not yet been unveiled, while stove-hot BMW M3 models remain under camouflage too.

The BMW i3 debuts the eighth-generation 3 Series family from the German luxury car maker.

BMW has chosen to reveal only this electric version at first, with combustion versions, as well as new M3 models, widely expected to be shown soon.

Utilising BMW’s Neue Klasse platform, the i3 follows the new iX3 mid-size SUV in sitting atop a new EV architecture that ushers in a wide range of hardware and software upgrades.

BMW says the new platform, revamped e-motors and the sixth-generation battery (built in Hungary) combine to deliver substantial advances in range, charging, efficiency and computing power.

The i3 will launch exclusively in 50 xDrive trim. This AWD model uses a new electrically excited synchronous motor on the rear axle, and a smaller asynchronous front motor that contributes torque when needed.

Structurally integrated into the i3’s floor is a new, flat battery pack that is expected to be the same 108kW lithium-ion (NMC) unit used by the iX3, though BMW has not confirmed specifics.

The battery integrates round lithium-ion cells developed by BMW. The cells are inserted directly into the battery to max out the density, and as a result they are not modular.

A move to an 800-volt electrical architecture has resulted in a big upgrade in DC charging speed, at least in ideal conditions.

Find a rare 400kW charger and a 10-80% charge should be completed in about 18 minutes.

BMW has equipped the i3 with bi-directional V2L and V2G charging, allowing the car to power external devices (at up to 3.7kW) or feed energy back into the owner’s home or the grid to earn money while parked.

Visually, the i3 adopts the design language ushered in by the iX3.

It’s longer than the existing 3 Series (at 4760mm in length, it is 47mm longer), but the proportions are familiar with short overhangs and a compact boot lid.

The new 2027 ‘NA0’ i3 differs from the ‘G20’ 3 Series, with a considerable simplification of various styling cues in a move that BMW calls ‘maximum reduction’.

BMW has again reinvented its front-end styling, away from the exaggerated grille of the 4 Series and M3. Instead, the i3 debuts twin backlit grilles that incorporate quad headlight strakes.

Inside, the cabin shares its basic design with the iX3, based around the new Panoramic iDrive system that projects information across a pillar-to-pillar panel integrated into the lower section of the windscreen.

A projected head-up display is optional while a 17.9-inch ‘Free Cut’ touchscreen is standard, running the Android-based BMW Operating System X, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The new i3 picks up the iX3’s groundbreaking electronics architecture that is based around four high-performance onboard computers BMW calls ‘superbrains’.

These four zones are responsible for the level two autonomous driving, infotainment, comfort functions and driving dynamics. BMW says the smarter computers means fewer unnecessary safety system interventions.

When the combustion versions of the new 3 Series arrive, they will not use the electric i3’s Neue Klasse platform.

Instead, they will sit atop an updated version of Cluster Architecture from the outgoing car.

The new i3 shows BMW’s approach to the burgeoning premium mid-size electric segment.

Key rivals Mercedes-Benz and Audi are preparing their own entrants, while Chinese brands like Zeekr and Denza will also bring ‘non-SUV’ premium EVs to Australia.

BMW will spend the next four months polishing the i3 before putting the sedan into production in August.

The German car-maker says the i3 is only the start of the new-generation 3 Series’ road to market, with combustion versions still to be revealed.

Buyers should also anticipate an i3 Touring (read: wagon), at least in Europe, while combustion and electric versions of a new BMW M3 are all but guaranteed.

Australian pricing for the BMW i3 will be released closer to launch, but clues can be drawn from the iX3, which was recently priced at $109,900 plus on-road costs.

The i3 could plausibly cost a little less than that, given that passenger cars often undercut similarly-sized SUVs.

The addition of a rear-wheel drive i3 40 with a smaller battery could also allow BMW Australia to reduce the i3’s entry price below the Luxury Car Tax threshold.

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