The BMW i3 is the automaker's second Neue Klasse model after the iX3, which set the styling expectations. The SUV debuted with a thin, vertical kidney grille that we feared would be the standard on all Neue Klasse models, but that’s not the case.
The new i3 sedan has a slim, horizontal kidney grille design that looks much sleeker than the SUV's tall kidneys. But there's a reason the i3 looks like that—and it’s not for a lack of trying. During a recent roundtable interview, Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group’s design director, said:
'We tried [the iX3’s grille] on the 3 Series as well. But we felt that for the 3 Series… if we had put the vertical grille on there, it would have maybe looked too retro, and it wouldn't have been as sporty as it looks today. So we felt that for a sporty [sedan], the horizontal grill fit the character of a 3 Series better.'
The new i3 looks unlike any BMW before it, adopting the Neue Klasse styling and a "2.5-box" design. It has a long wheelbase and short overhangs, and a vertical grille would not have flowed as well into the rest of the vehicle.
The i3 is expected to go on sale later this year as a 2027 model, with the i3 50 xDrive producing 463 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque.
Zander Sutton contributed to this report.
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