For 2018 BMW has lightly reworked the quirky design of the i3 electric car while expanding the i family with a new product – the i3s. The new performance EV upgrades the standard i3’s 170 horsepower / 184 pound-feet of torque electric motor to a high-output version capable of 184 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque. A sports suspension drops the i3s 10mm lower, widens its track by 40mm, and connects to new 20-inch rims.
The driving experience gains a special Sport Mode with “more direct accelerator response and tighter steering characteristics.” All of that makes the i3s capable on 0 – 6 MPH in 6.8 seconds, with a 100 MPH top speed. It also has a special Sport driving mode with “more direct accelerator response and tighter steering characteristics.” All of that makes the i3s capable on 0 – 6 MPH in 6.8 seconds, with a 100 MPH top speed. Outside, both the i3 and i3s have new styling tweaks all around to make the car appear wider and match the company’s trademark BMW i Black Belt design.
Aside from the sportier looks, new suspension and wheels and upgraded power, the BMW i3S is pretty much the same as the standard facelifted i3.
As far as the facelift design, the 2018 i3 gains new full LED headlights, making it look more high-tech. LED lighting just gives the face a sleeker, more modern look. BMW also updated the foglights, which always looked like an after thought on the first-gen car. What were just two circles slapped on the front bumper, the new foglights are now horizontal and look more in keeping with the rest of the design. A new front bumper is featured, with a piece of trim that starts out atop the new foglights and makes its way down, wrapping around them, and around the bottom of the bumper.
Out back, a new, more rounded rear bumper makes the rear end match the front. So it’s more cohesive still and looks less dumpy than the original. Though, the back is the most unchanged part of the exterior. There is a new silver horizontal bar that spans the entire rear end.
Inside the cabin of the i3, not much is changed at all. There are a couple of new interior color options. Giga Brown Natural Leather & Carum Spice Grey Wool Cloth are your two color choice with the new Giga World line and there is a new wood trim option. The big news on the inside, though, is the switch to BMW’s latest iDrive.
The 2018 BMW i3 and BMW i3s will celebrate their world premiere at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in September 2017 with pricing being announced closer to market launch.
