The Ministry of Industry of China has revealed some images of the upcoming BMW i3, an all-electric 3-Series vehicle that has little in common with the compact hatchback known in other countries under the same name.
Based on the photos, the i3 for China gets new bumpers and an emphasized fake grille with its contours backlit i4-style, just smaller. There are also new lights all around and the telltale blue accents that the Bavarian carmaker uses to distinguish its electric cars.
According to AutoHome, the newcomer is 4,872 mm long, 1,846 mm wide and 1,481 mm tall with 2,966 mm of wheelbase. The standard 3-Series is much shorter, leading us to assume that the new i3 is based on the stretched 3-Series version currently available in China (see video).
Other parameters remain to be revealed, but the badge ‘i3 eDrive 35L’ says much to those familiar with the OEM naming. ‘eDrive’ refers to a single electric motor rated at 340 PS (335 hp / 250 kW), while ‘L’ refers to long wheelbase.