Article Summary
- BMW is unveiling the new i3 sedan's today.
- Codenamed NA0, the electric 3 Series goes on sale in the second half of the year.
- It will be made in Munich and is coming to North America next year.
BMW may be printing money with SUVs, but the sedan remains the core of its lineup. Following last year’s iX3, the i3 joins the Neue Klasse lineup with a traditional saloon shape wrapped in a modern package. Today’s world premiere carries double importance, as it also previews the next-generation 3 Series.
The electric “NA0” and combustion-engined “G50” are expected to look strikingly similar inside and out. Technically, this isn’t the first time BMW has introduced an i3 sedan. When the hatchback faded into the car graveyard in 2022, BMW shortly revived the name for an electric 3 Series with a long wheelbase for China.
Now, the i3 sedan is finally going global as a bespoke EV, ditching the CLAR underpinnings of the old “G28.” Expect a sedan take on the new iX3, possibly with even more range thanks to its sleeker shape. BMW will likely showcase only the 50 xDrive version, sharing hardware with its crossover counterpart.
Today’s livestreamed event will focus on design, so full technical specifications may arrive later. Still, it’s reasonable to expect the i3 to be more aerodynamic and slightly lighter than the iX3. Ideally, it will also cost a bit less, though that remains to be seen.
Series production in Munich starts in the second half of the year, with first deliveries to European buyers expected before the end of 2026. BMW has already confirmed the reborn i3 for the United States, but it won’t arrive until sometime next year.
The iX3 and i3 won’t be the only new-era BMW models in this segment for long. Spy shots have already revealed an iX4 “NA7,” and an i3 Touring “NA1” can’t be ruled out. In the meantime, today’s debut will be followed next month by the long-wheelbase iX3 “NA6.” This larger electric crossover will be China-focused but also sold in other markets.
Further down the line, the lineup could expand to include an i4 “NA2.” For now, all eyes are on the i3. From day one, BMW’s smallest EV sedan will go head-to-head with the upcoming electric Mercedes C-Class Sedan. With Audi also preparing an A4 EV, the battle in the electric luxury segment is intensifying.
If you’d rather stick with combustion engines for one more generation, the eighth-generation, Dingolfing-built 3 Series will debut later this year. Like the i3, it will offer M Performance and full-fat M variants, reinforcing BMW’s “Power of Choice” strategy.
