"The camouflaged sedan in these photos is a very important new BMW sedan. It's the first Neue Klasse i3 built at the BMW Group Plant Munich, which will be ramping up production of the new electric sedan in the second half of 2026. Once production of the i3 is in full swing, the EV will kick the combustion-powered 3 Series out of its historic home, where it's been in production uninterrupted for half a century."
"The first thing I noticed is that the front section of the vehicle isn't as long as on the combustion 3 Series. The front axle is closer to the A-pillar than in the ICE model, giving the i3 the proportions of a front-wheel drive sedan. This is because BMW could enlarge the greenhouse for extra space inside the cabin in the same footprint, thus allowing for more room in the cabin and extra space between the two rows of seats."
"It also doesn't look unnaturally high for a sedan, unlike the larger 5 Series (which also underpins the fully electric i5). It will likely be taller than the next-generation combustion 3 Series (which is also getting a Neue Klasse visual makeover), but BMW has done a good job masking the extra overall height caused by having a battery in the floor of the vehicle."
Pre-production BMW i3 electric sedans have begun assembly in Munich, with production ramp-up scheduled for the second half of 2026. The i3 is the first Neue Klasse model built at the BMW Group Plant Munich and will replace the combustion-powered 3 Series at that plant once production reaches full scale. The camouflaged pre-production units reveal final bodywork elements including handles, mirrors, and lights. Proportions show a shorter front section and front axle moved closer to the A-pillar, yielding front-wheel-drive-like packaging and a larger greenhouse for more cabin and rear-legroom. BMW minimizes added height from floor-mounted batteries, and sporty wheel designs hint at production options.
Read at insideevs.com
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