The i3 is no ordinary release. BMW has itself described it as the most important vehicle in company history, a bold claim for a brand with over a century of automotive heritage behind it.
Built on the Neue Klasse platform, the i3 follows the iX3 as the second model in that generation and represents the first sedan in the lineup. Pre-series production has already begun, and the car is currently undergoing final testing at BMW’s winter test center in Sweden, signaling that the program is well into its final stages ahead of a commercial launch expected later this year or in early 2027.
An Unplanned Reveal
The footage was meant to go live as part of a coordinated Wednesday reveal. Instead, it briefly appeared online before BMW moved to delete it. According to Electrek, Instagram user Wilco Blok was quick enough to capture several screenshots from the video before it disappeared, and those images were enough to give the public its first real look at the production-ready car.
Up until that point, only a handful of camouflaged prototypes had been seen in public, offering very little in terms of confirmed design detail.
A Design That Plays It Safe
What the screenshots show is a car that sticks closely to the Neue Klasse visual identity introduced by the iX3. The front end features a slimmer kidney grille and a “four-eyed” front face, wrapped in a cleaner overall look. The i3, however, remains notably close to the classic 3 Series silhouette.
Inside, the cabin mirrors the iX3’s layout. There is a 17.9-inch central touchscreen, a redesigned steering wheel, BMW’s new iDrive system, and BMW Panoramic Vision, a head-up display that stretches across the full width of the windshield.
Range, Charging, and What Buyers Can Expect
On the technical side, the Neue Klasse i3 is expected to be offered with the same 108.7 kWh battery pack as the iX3, which provides up to 805 km, or 500 miles, of WLTP-rated range. The iX3 is capable of recovering 373 km of range in around 10 minutes, and the i3 is expected to offer similar charging speeds.
As for market availability, BMW had already let part of the story slip before this latest accident, the automaker inadvertently published its 2027 US lineup last month, confirming the i3 will be sold in 40 xDrive and 50 xDrive variants in that market. It will join the iX3, due on sale in the US this summer, along with the upcoming iX4 and iX5. Series production is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026. Prices and final specifications will be confirmed closer to launch.
