First Look: BMW i3

Following design sketches of the BMW i3 leaked just a few short weeks ago, the world now has its first look at the finished product thanks to another leak ahead of next week’s scheduled public debut in London.

Admittedly, however, last week’s design sketches painted a familiar picture of all that we’ve seen as the i3 concept up until now, so there are no surprises in these final images. The suicide-style rear doors have made the transition from concept to production, as has the minimalist style cabin.

The BMW i3 will be available as either a fully-electric eDrive model, or as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Relying solely on a 125 kW and 250 Nm electric motor, the BMW i3 eDrive will have a range of between 130 – 160 km. Owners of the PHEV version will enjoy distances of up to 280 km, thanks to help from a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery.

Drive is sent from the rear-mounted electric motor to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission. Thanks to the car’s lightweight construction that incorporates an aluminium chassis and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) bodywork, the BMW i3 has a claimed 0 – 100 km/h sprint time of 7.2 seconds, placing it not far off the pace of some hot-hatches.

The first deliveries of the BMW i3 are expected to begin before year-end and will be priced from GBP25 680 in the U.K., or roughly the price of a 320i.

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