South Africa will be privy to the i3 in early 2027, but only the mid-range 50 xDrive variant.
M60 will become the i3 line-up’s flagship in 2027. Picture: BMW
Introduced at the same time as the new 3 Series, BMW has made further changes to the i3 range, namely the introduction of more variants.
New base model
Revealed back in March as the second Neue Klasse model after the iX3, the i3 range, initially only consisted out of the 50 xDrive, which now becomes the mid-range variant.
Slotting in above is the 40 xDrive which, as its name points out, retains the dual-motor xDrive all-wheel drive layout, but with less power thanks to a smaller battery pack.
Whereas the 108.7-kWh unit in the i3 50 xDrive makes 345kW/645Nm, the 40 uses an 82.8-kWh battery that outputs 275kW/520Nm.
The result is the same 200 km/h top speed, but 0-100 km/h in 5.4 seconds versus the 50’s 4.7 seconds. Its claimed range is 710 km compared to the 50’s 912 km.
M60 makes first appearance
In the biggest surprise, BMW also revealed the first images of the range-topping M60 ahead of its global launch next year.
Seen with the same motorsport developed M Yellow LED headlights as the M350 xDrive, the M60 also has different mirrors to those of the 50 xDrive, as well as a revised steering wheel with red 12 o’clock marking, what appears to be the M Sport seats and new graphics and readouts for the Panoramic iDrive instrument binnacle.
Not mentioned in the official press material are the M60’s power figures, or whether it is in fact the rumoured i3 M capable of making more than 1 000 kW from a quad-electric motor setup.
Line-up for South Africa
Locally, BMW South Africa has confirmed the i3 from the first quarter of 2027, only in xDrive 50 form, and likely to launch at the same time as the new 3 Series.
