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BMW i3 Electric Sedan Arrives at BMW Welt with M Sport Package
The new BMW i3 electric sedan has entered series production and is now on public display at BMW Welt in Munich, featuring the M Sport Package and a new M Le Castellet Blue finish.
By Charlotte Redford · 5 min read
BMW's new i3 electric sedan has entered series production and is now on public display at BMW Welt in Munich, where a walkaround video has offered the first detailed look at a car that shares almost nothing with the quirky i3 hatchback it replaces in name. The vehicle on show is finished in M Le Castellet Blue, a fresh colour being rolled out with the all-new model, and wears the M Sport Package with its expected visual upgrades, giving the electric sedan a considerably more aggressive stance.
The car displayed at BMW Welt, codenamed NA0, rides on 20-inch wheels, though customers can specify 21-inch rims at the cost of some sidewall and potentially a little range. It also features the optional panoramic glass roof, which comes with an important caveat: it does not slide open. Buyers expecting a traditional opening sunroof should note the distinction, as BMW, like other manufacturers, moves away from sunroofs with an opening section. The new X5 and iX5, by contrast, still allow fresh air into the cabin.
The i3 is larger than the outgoing 3 Series G20 in every dimension. At 4,760 millimetres long, it is 47 mm longer than its combustion-engined sibling. It is also 38 mm wider at 1,865 mm and 40 mm taller at 1,480 mm, while the wheelbase stretches 46 mm to 2,897 mm. The growth is unsurprising given the large battery pack underneath. As an i3 50 xDrive in First Edition guise, the car weighs 2,205 kilograms.
That gap in size between the electric i3 and the current 3 Series will shrink once BMW introduces the eighth-generation 3 Series with combustion engines. Company representatives have already said the new model will be bigger than its predecessor, which inevitably means more weight. Even so, without a bulky battery pack, the ICE-powered sports sedan will remain substantially lighter than the EV.
Production of the i3 is already under way, with the first customer deliveries due this autumn in Europe. American buyers will have to wait until sometime next year. Initially, BMW is building the electric sedan exclusively in Munich, but it also plans to manufacture the car in Mexico at its San Luis Potosí plant starting in 2027. A separate long-wheelbase model, codenamed NA8, will be produced in China.
The i3 sedan represents BMW's first all-new electric sedan of the Neue Klasse era, a model line that marks a significant shift in the company's design and engineering approach. Its arrival at BMW Welt, the brand's exhibition and delivery centre adjacent to the Munich plant, places it directly in front of the public just a short trip from where it is built. The walkaround video highlights a car that has practically nothing in common with the original i3 hatchback, a funky and distinctive early EV that established BMW's electric ambitions but has now been superseded by a more conventional sedan shape.
For British buyers and enthusiasts watching BMW's electric transition, the i3's dimensions and specifications matter. The car sits larger than the 3 Series it will eventually parallel, reflecting the packaging demands of a modern EV. The M Sport Package and the new M Le Castellet Blue paint signal that BMW intends the i3 to appeal on style as much as on zero-emission credentials, while the panoramic roof and large wheel options show the scope for personalisation. The absence of a base i3 from public view so far suggests BMW is leading with higher-specification versions, a common strategy for new electric models.
The timing of the i3's launch places it at the centre of BMW's product offensive. With production in Munich, expansion to Mexico in 2027, and a dedicated long-wheelbase variant for China, the company is positioning the sedan for global markets. European deliveries beginning this autumn will give the first real-world indication of how the Neue Klasse electric sedan performs with customers, while North American buyers will watch from the sidelines until next year.
