“The essence of the BMW brand”: this is the new, 560-mile BMW i3

In short, this is the electric version of the most important car BMW has and will continue to build. The very “essence of the BMW brand”.

It’s the new BMW i3 saloon – essentially an electric, next-generation 3 Series.

And yes, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief because this electric, next-generation 3 Series looks… good. Really, really good. A “2.5-box” shape with short overhangs, flared arches, gently sloping roof, and low, classy proportions. A well resolved kidney grille/quad headlight arrangement. A lovely rear light signature.

Phew. Classy drivetrain, too, as we’ve discovered from its (very) big brother, the iX3. At launch, BMW will offer the i3 as a 50 xDrive model, which means way more efficient (compared to the older e-BMWs) electric motors on the front and back axles, 800-volt architecture, 463bhp, 476lb ft and a whopping 560 miles of range. Five hundred and sixty.

That’s an insane amount of range, and comes courtesy not only through better motors, but also the new cell-to-pack design which doesn’t group cells into modules inside the battery but instead bolts them straight in saving weight and adding strength. There’s also new software controlling the battery.

Moreover, BMW reckons you can replenish up to 250 miles of range in around 10 minutes on a fast enough charger (400kW). Admittedly few and far between, those, but still. The only anxiety you’ll have is picking out a good colour, because the i3’s four ‘superbrains’ will take care of literally everything else.

Like the one that handles the battery we noted above, and of course the ‘Heart of Joy’ that handles all the fun bits like the steering, brakes, regen and suspension. Again, if it’s anything like the iX3, it ought to be a well resolved thing. There’s level 2 driver assistance, bidirectional charging, and over the air updates, amongst a myriad of next-gen tech stuffed inside.

Speaking of inside, if you’ve been anywhere near or in an iX3, the i3 should feel quite familiar. And perhaps a little intimidating at first, not least because there’s a lot going on. Like the ‘Panoramic Vision’ which projects loads of stuff across the entire bottom section of the windscreen. Literally from pillar to pillar.

Then comes an optional HUD, a 17.9in central screen, multifunction wheel, and of course, AI, because that genie definitely isn’t going back into the bottle. Want to know how good it all works and crucially, feels? Head this way for our review of the iX3.

“The BMW 3 Series is the essence of the BMW brand,” said… BMW. “For five decades, this icon has stood for sporty driving pleasure, unmistakably attractive design and consistent progress.” Like we said, important car, this.