Article Summary
- Exclusive to China, at least for now, the long-wheelbase electric sedan is on display as the i3 40L xDrive.
- To comply with new Chinese safety regulations, it features different door handles than the standard-wheelbase i3.
- BMW stretches the wheelbase to 3,005 millimeters (118.3 inches), creating more legroom for rear passengers.
August is typically the quietest month in the automotive industry, but China apparently didn’t get the memo. The 2026 Chengdu Auto Show is in full swing, and BMW couldn’t miss such a big opportunity to bring the new i3. No, not the standard-wheelbase “NA0” the rest of the world is getting, but the bigger and fancier “NA8.”
BMW is showing off the long-wheelbase i3 in Le Castellet Blue with the M Sport Package and black wheels. Although not immediately noticeable, the car’s growth spurt over the global model brings longer rear doors and a more generous greenhouse. That’s not the only change to the profile, as China’s i3 sedan gets a familiar door-handle design with pull-up operation. It’s a last-minute change to comply with a new safety regulation that effectively bans completely flush door handles.
A more discreet change on the sides is the M logo embedded into the Hofmeister kink at the rear pillar. While some might be tempted to believe the illuminated letter points to some sort of spicy M model, that’s not the case. Instead, this i3 is a plain 40 xDrive, with M Performance and M derivatives coming sooner rather than later.
BMW Goes Big In China
BMW has yet to dish out all the details about China’s i3, but we do know the wheelbase measures a stately 3,005 millimeters (118.31 inches). That’s a considerable increase of 108 mm (4.2 inches) over the electric sedan most of the world will get. The stretch between the axles frees up more room inside, which seems like a better place to spend time than in the standard-wheelbase i3.
For the Chengdu Auto Show, BMW brought the i3 with Castanea artificial leather upholstery and the new 3D head-up display. We can also peek inside the rear trunk, which swallows 420 liters (nearly 15 cubic feet) on the standard-wheelbase model. Since it’s an electric sedan built on a bespoke platform, there’s also a front cargo area, good for 31 liters (almost 1.1 cubic feet) on the international i3. It remains to be seen whether these figures are different for the Chinese model.
BMW hasn’t revealed pricing for the i3 40L xDrive, but an educated guess suggests it’ll undercut its crossover twin. As a refresher, the iX3 40L xDrive starts at RMB 299,900 ($44,600 / €38,100). We’re wondering whether the sedan will also get a cheaper rear-wheel-drive 30 model. If it does, it should come in below the RMB 269,900 ($40,000 / €34,300) iX3 30L.
Lest we forget, BMW has been selling an i3 sedan in China since 2022, when the company retired the namesake quirky little hatchback. Based on the CLAR platform of the outgoing 3 Series Li (“G28”), the electric sedan starts at RMB 278,000 ($41,400 / €35,300). There’s a good chance pricing for its Neue Klasse-based replacement will be in the same ballpark.
Video: China Auto Show / YouTube
