The BMW i3 is back*, and this time it’s an electric 3 Series-sized saloon

Surprise! BMW is getting ready to build a new car. This, internet friends, is a ‘pre-series’ BMW i3. No, not that one, a new one.

So new, it’s a part of BMW’s big neue Neue Klasse operation that also spawned the Top Gear Award-winning iX3. And like that game-changing SUV, this new saloon will very likely become one of BMW’s most important new cars.

It’s a three-box saloon! It’s the same size as a 3 Series! It looks… normal again! BMW hasn’t released much concrete information about its electric 3er, but the iX3’s hardware should provide a fairly long-range clue.

We’re talking a super-fast single central processor dubbed ‘heart of joy’ that controls the motors, regen braking, steering and stability systems. Then comes a fat 109kWh battery, an 800V system, lots of power, and lots of range – the iX3 boasts 500 miles WLTP.

Considering the i3 saloon will share this hardware – as will all new electric BMWs – it’s a solid spec for a next-gen EV.

And almost as important as the spec is how the thing looks. The iX3 has ushered in a new iteration of BMW’s traditional design cues resulting in a (mercifully) narrower kidney grille and clean, solid proportions.

Production of the new i3 will kick off in the second half of 2026, and BMW said this pre-series car is a bit of a big deal. “For the first time, we have built a BMW i3 entirely at our plant, using state-of-the-art manufacturing technology and digitally connected processes,” said the boss of BMW’s Munich plant Peter Weber.

Want to know just how important these new Neue Klasse cars are? Click here for the full review of the iX3, Top Gear’s 2026 Car of the Year.