New BMW i3 rated: EV goes straight to the top of the class
We already know plenty about the eighth-generation BMW 3 Series – even the seminal EV tested here, confusingly called the i3 – because Matt Prior reviewed both petrol and electric versions last week.
However, what he wasn’t able to tell you was how the i3 performs on British roads, which the world’s best suspension engineers (an unusually large proportion of whom reside in Europe) constantly tell us are quite different in width, surface, layout and quality from those in the other major global markets.
This, indeed, is why BMW UK hastened to stage a separate i3 drive event in Sussex so soon after the main European launch: the 3 Series has always represented the heart of BMW-ness in the UK and the EV version is clearly the way of the future. Its success in our large and important export market is vital.
To recap, the i3 is the second of BMW’s Neue Klasse models to reach the UK, after the iX3 SUV. The petrol version that Prior also tested, although it looks very similar, is built on a previous platform. The EV that I drove was officially dubbed the i3 50 xDrive First Edition, that last part referring to an equipment package already sold out.
The important thing was that it was a 462bhp four-wheel-drive model riding on the standard 19in wheels, with front- and rear-mounted motors powered by a 108.7kWh battery and capable of both the prodigious WLTP range of 514-566 miles (depending on drive mode) and a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.7sec.
We’ve already called this car “probably the best way to have electric motoring in a compact executive saloon package”, but do the UK’s more testing bumps, surfaces and curves make a difference to our view?
The answer is that they do but probably don’t change our overall conclusion – which is that the lighter ICE 3 Series, when powered by the still-available 3.0-litre turbo petrol straight six, has a narrow but noticeable margin in agility and driver engagement.
Still, the i3 is an impressive all-rounder on all kinds of UK roads, with a chassis entirely in the usual BMW mould. Its steering is ever-ready to effortlessly add lock and grip in corners that tighten without warning.
That same steering remains smooth and responsive, yet it delivers an enjoyable innate stability that makes driving on long journeys a special pleasure – especially when combined with the quietness and smoothness of the electric powertrain and its low-level road noise.
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments