BMW will continue using the i badge to distinguish its EV models from ICE offerings
- The M3 Touring and M5 Touring has convinced BMW to build more estates.
- The new i3 will be the second model launched from its Neue Klasse family.
- It will also spawn an all-electric M3 that’ll be sold along the ICE version.
Electric cars are no longer just science projects or niche status symbols, and BMW clearly knows it. As expected, the new all-electric Neue Klasse sedan from BMW will revive the i3 nameplate, but it will look and feel very different from the quirky original hatch that launched back in 2013. This time, BMW is aiming the new i3 squarely at the Tesla Model 3, and it might just become the most important vehicle in BMW’s next generation of EVs.
Read: BMW i3 Neue Klasse Sedan Spied For The First Time
BMW has confirmed that it will kick off the Neue Klasse era with the second-generation iX3, which has already been previewed by a concept. Once the iX3 arrives, BMW will follow it up with the new i3. Interestingly, the i3 will not just be offered as a traditional sedan, but will also come in a Touring estate version for those who still appreciate a good wagon.
In a recent interview with Autocar, BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk pointed out that the surprising success of the M3 Touring and M5 Touring proves that there is still life left in the estate segment.
Touring Models Are Back, Apparently
“I think the ‘touring is making a comeback,” he said. “Of course, we’ve propelled it with the M3 Touring and M5 Touring: they seem to be very popular, even in countries where tourings or estates are traditionally not very [popular]. So yes, there is new wind in that segment, and we’re very happy about that.”
“SUVs are half of our business,” van Hooydonk continued. “The other half are still sporty, elegant sedans or coupés, and obviously we care about that as well. That’s what we’re rooted in, and we are often seen as the benchmark – and for sure we want it to stay that way.”
The ‘i’ Stays, but It Means Something Different Now
BMW product boss Bernd Körber also weighed in, explaining that the company will continue to use the “i” badge for its EV models. According to Körber, the letter “i” started out representing several ideas, but one constant was electrification.
“Why the ‘i’? Because the i brand started out with more facets to it, but one element with the i3 and i8 was electrification,” he said. “So for us it’s a designator that we use to indicate within the common naming [strategy] that this is an electrified vehicle, with the ‘i’ in front of it. So we kept the ‘i’, put it in front and moved it from a kind of sub-brand to a model brand, and that will be the logic that we will follow from now on.”
The new BMW i3 is expected to launch with a rear-wheel-drive base model producing around 300 horsepower. All-wheel-drive versions will come later. BMW also plans to spin off an electric version of the M3, previewed earlier this year as the Vision Driving Experience concept, which will feature four electric motors for truly ridiculous performance.
