BMW i3s 2018 Review - International

At a few bucks short of $70,000, the new BMW i3s is not going to prompt a rush on showrooms anytime soon. But that’s more an indictment on the cost of electric vehicles (EVs) at this point in their evolution than any fault of BMW’s uprated and updated battery-powered city car.

And it’s also shame – because the i3s is a car that could convince many of the efficacy of EVs, while at the same time making it very clear that ‘battery’ does not equate to ‘boring’.

Updated electrically
The i3s is the ‘hero’ model of the updated 2018 i3 line-up. BMW announced details of the changes to the carbon-framed EV at the September (2017) Frankfurt motor show and more recently confirmed local pricing and specification.

The changes to the first-gen i3 aren’t manifest -- front and rear detailing has been tweaked and LED headlights and indicators are now fitted as standard. It’ll take a serious SME (subject matter expert) to pick the changes.

Inside, there have been updates to the décor. The standard Atelier interior is retained across the line-up and Lodge, Loft and Suite variants are offered as options.

The Lodge interior design option includes a new seat covering in Solaric Brown that “combines natural leather tanned using an olive leaf extract with a wool-based textile material.”

Whichever the variant you choose, BMW claims more than 80 per cent of the visible interior surfaces are made from recycled materials or renewable resources.

In terms of tech there’s a new Parking Assistance package that takes control of acceleration, braking, gear selection and steering to effect perfect parallel parks every time.

Further, an updated Driving Assistant Plus package incorporates collision and pedestrian warning with low-speed autonomous braking.

Active cruise control with stop/go functionality and low-speed steering assistance is also now standard.

Apple CarPlay is now available and the i3 is also equipped with the latest BMW i version of ConnectedDrive which (in Europe at least) has special services “tailored to electric mobility”.

These include the ability to check location and availability of public charging stations, while the navigation system can provide a “visual representation of the current operating radius”. This is tailored depending on the mode in which the car is operating.

As standard, the battery capacity of the i3 and i3s has been increased by around 50 per cent to 94Ah – the same capacity that became available as an i3 option in Australia in October 2016 — for a commensurate increase in range from about 130 to 200km.

Meantime, the charging system has been optimised, in part thanks to a new cable. This now includes a temperature sensor and, when used in conjunction with an 11kW BMW i Wallbox, now allows enough energy for an electric range of around 180km to be transferred “in under three hours”, says BMW.

This, the company claims, is five times quicker than with the standard charging cable.

Think Cooper S – sort of…
The i3s gets all the above generational changes and a number of unique tweaks and it’s amazing what small changes can accomplish in terms of changing the character of the car.

The s is differentiated by more aggressive front splitter and a wider rear valance with special detailing. Small wheel-arch extensions and a “high-gloss detailed BMW kidney grille” also lend the EV a more purposeful stance.

The paint job too makes a difference. On the new BMW i3s, the roof line accent sports the same high-gloss black finish as the A-pillars. In many of the body colours this in its own right lends a slight MINI Cooper S feel to the i3s.

In the Melbourne Red and Black combo of the launch fleet the i3s definitely looks less city-car/people-moveer and more hatch-like.

Under the skin the changes include a 10mm drop in ride height and a substantial 40mm increase in track. The i3s sports suspension gets a unique spring, damper and anti-roll bar package. The new 20-inch alloy wheels are 20mm wider with a commensurate increase in tyre width.

Powertrain changes are headlined by an electric motor with 10kW and 20Nm boosts in peak power and torque (to 135kW/270Nm). There’s now also a Sport mode in i3s’ Driving Experience Control system and the ability to free up the traction and stability control system – if only a little.

Officially the i3s accelerates to 100km/h in 6.9 secinds on its way to a top speed of 160km/h. This is 0.4sec quicker and 10km/h faster than the standard i3.

Range-extender versions are still offered for both i3 and i3s. But their days seem numbered. BMWi personnel at the i3s first drive were open in stating the next-generation i3 will not be offered as a range-extender.

Real-world benefits
The spec sheet figures don’t do the performance of the i3s justice. While peak torque is only 20Nm more than the standard i3, the real margin is double that in many areas of the power curve. Essentially, the s-spec car holds onto it torque much higher in the electric motor’s rev range.

At 6000rpm, the i3s motor is producing approximately 215Nm, the i3 just 185. At 8000rpm the s-car’s advantage is around 40Nm and at 10,000rpm it’s 30Nm.

The end result is a much livelier feel under foot. Acceleration from 80 to 120km/h takes about 4.3sec according to BMW’s own figures – the standard i3 does the same jump in 5.1sec, so it feels faster.

There’s an electric ‘whine’ that’s present when the windows are down but when sealed up the cabin of the i3s is extremely quiet. Road noise is very well isolated. Sometimes the loudest thing you hear is the graunch of brake pad on disc.

Thanks to the lower ride height, wider track and bigger tyres, there’s an added dose of composure in turns. Indeed, there’s a decent sporty feel to the i3s -- dare we say it almost a hint of MINI Cooper S.

There’s less feel to the steering than a conventional hatch but it’s still precise. Ride quality is better than you’ll experience in an MINI, however, and the slightly ‘at sea’ rocking feel of the original i3 has been tuned out.

Range extended
Key to the update of the i3 and the ability of the i3s to deliver extra performance is the availability of the 94Ah battery pack and the extra range it delivers.

Our Lisbon drive was barely 90km (with a couple of off-piste excursions thanks to the Portuguese capital’s dreaded one-way streets). In the course of that, the range on the car we drove shrank from a projected 146km to around 100km. So, our 80km (say) ‘cost’ us about 50km, according to the i3s gauge.

BMW insiders are confident in predicting 200km-plus in normal Aussie use with a mix of freeway and suburban use. It’ll be interesting to put this to the test.

Those same insiders point to this substantial increase in real-world usability as the main driver to a change in purchasing habits – particularly in Australia.

With the original i3, the REX (range-extender) version was the most popular, but now the majority of sales are pure EV.

While I doubt we’ll be seeing an i3M anytime soon, the sporty feel BMW has sought to inject into its baby EV is definitely present. And at no ‘cost’ in terms of convenience.

That coupled with the better looks of the i3s mean I can’t see any reason most Aussie i3 buyers won’t want to pay the extra $1200 to upgrade.

BMW says that, worldwide, it expects the model split to be in the order of 70/30 per cent in favour of the standard i3.

Locally, I’d suggest BMW Australia suspend any standard i3 orders and ship out i3s models only.

2018 BMW i3s pricing and specifications:
Price: $69,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 360-volt electric motor
Output: 135kW/270Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Fuel: Not applicable
CO2: Not applicable
Safety rating: Four-star (Euro NCAP)