New BMW i3 2026 (Neue Klasse) First Look: 563-Mile Range, Price and UK Release Date
All images in this article have been sourced from BMW’s Press Office unless stated otherwise
The new BMW i3 2026 is (arguably) the boldest relaunch in the badge's history. It’s a four-door electric saloon built on BMW's Neue Klasse platform. It was revealed in March 2026 with a provisional WLTP range of up to 567 miles and UK prices confirmed from £53,005. It shares almost nothing with the compact city car that carried the same name between 2013 and 2022, and it arrives as many fleet buyers are comparing long-range premium EVs against petrol equivalents.
For HR and fleet teams, the number that matters as much as range is the tax bill. As a zero-emission car, the i3 qualifies for 4% BiK in 2026/27, against up to 37% for a comparable petrol executive saloon, and it slots in above the existing BMW i4 on both range and price. This first look covers everything BMW has confirmed so far: official UK pricing, range and charging figures, what's changed, how it compares with the i4, and what it could mean on salary sacrifice.
The i3 Reborn: Neue Klasse First Look
It's a distinct model, built on the same Neue Klasse architecture as the iX3 SUV, and it's the second Neue Klasse model in UK showrooms. BMW officially confirmed the car in March 2026, positioning it as the electric equivalent of the 3 Series rather than a hatchback successor.
Anyone reading purely for the company car angle can calculate savings on a similarly priced car now, with the full salary sacrifice breakdown covered later in this article.
What We Know So Far:
It’s the second model on BMW's Neue Klasse platform after the iX3
Four-door saloon body, positioned as the electric 3 Series
UK order books opened 18 June 2026 for the First Edition specification
Production begins at BMW's Munich plant in August 2026
UK deliveries expected from autumn 2026
Price & UK Release Date
BMW confirmed UK pricing in June, with two specifications now set:
BMW i3 50 xDrive First Edition
Available to order now, priced from £57,905 OTR. The i3 50 xDrive First Edition is built on the M Sport specification. It adds BMW Iconic Glow exterior lighting, a 3D head-up display, and AC Charging Professional, which raises the AC charging rate from 11kW to 22kW.
BMW i3 50 xDrive (standard)
The i3 50 xDrive (standard) is priced from £53,005 OTR, reaching showrooms at the official UK market launch in autumn 2026.
Both figures sit below early press estimates, which had suggested the Neue Klasse saloon would land closer to £55,000.
Buyers choosing between trims should treat current specification and pricing as provisional, since BMW has flagged that final figures may vary slightly before the autumn launch.
The 563-Mile Range & Charging
BMW's official figures give the i3 the longest range of any production EV announced to date, though the exact number depends on trim:
First Edition: up to 563 miles WLTP, with a quoted range of 471-563 miles depending on wheel size
Standard 50 xDrive at launch: up to 567 miles WLTP
Battery: 108.7kWh pack built on BMW's new 800-volt architecture, using cell-to-pack construction with new round cells
Charging: DC rapid charging at up to 400kW, adding up to 400km of range in 10 minutes
Efficiency: rated between 3.86 and 4.6 miles per kWh depending on trim and wheel size
Real-world range will sit below the WLTP figure, as it does on every EV, but even a conservative adjustment leaves the i3 comfortably ahead of most rivals in its class. For fleet managers modelling the total cost of ownership, the efficiency figure matters as much as the headline range, since it directly affects how far a charging budget stretches over a typical business mileage year.
What Does The New i3 Look Like Inside And Out?
The new i3 keeps recognisable BMW cues while adopting the fresh Neue Klasse design language shared with the iX3. Exterior highlights include:
A reworked Hofmeister kink and flush door handles
Twin headlights merging into a new illuminated light signature, replacing the traditional chrome kidney grille
A longer wheelbase and 2.5-box silhouette, larger than the current petrol 3 Series in every dimension
Prominently flared wheel arches for a wider, sportier stance
Inside, the cabin is built around spaciousness and has a driver-focused layout, sharing its core architecture with the iX3. BMW has also confirmed that a Touring estate version and an electric M3 variant, with both currently expected to arrive in 2027.
What To Expect From The Technology And Driver Assistance
The cabin is defined by BMW's new Panoramic iDrive system, a display spanning the full width of the windscreen base, paired with a separate central touchscreen. Key technology highlights, confirmed in BMW's own press materials, include:
Heart of Joy: a high-performance onboard computer that BMW says responds ten times faster than previous systems, working alongside three other processing units to run the car's software and electronics
BMW Symbiotic Drive: a new generation of assisted driving features
Bidirectional charging: Vehicle-to-Load, Vehicle-to-Home and Vehicle-to-Grid support, letting the car feed power back to a home or the grid
Sixth-generation eDrive technology: covering the electric motors, 800-volt system and new round-cell batteries
How Does The BMW i3 Neue Klass Compare To i4 & Rivals?
The i3 doesn't replace the i4, which is still on sale and continues to undercut the new saloon on price. Instead, the i3 sits above it and is aimed at buyers who want the longest possible range and the newest available technology, while the i4 stays the more affordable route into an electric BMW saloon.
| Spec | BMW i3 50 xDrive | BMW i4 eDrive40 | Typical alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | £53,005 | From the mid-£40,000s | £45,000-£60,000 |
| WLTP range | Up to 567 miles | Up to 365 miles | 300-380 miles |
| Power | 469hp, dual motor AWD | 335bhp, single motor RWD | 280-350bhp |
| 0-62mph | 4.7 seconds | 5.6 seconds | 5.0-6.5 seconds |
| Max rapid charging | 400kW | 205kW | 150-250kW |
| BiK 2026/27 | 4% | 4% | 4% if zero-emission |
Against typical alternatives in the premium electric saloon class, the i3's range and charging speed stand out clearly. A couple of caveats are worth flagging before comparing on paper:
Final UK specification for lower-powered i3 variants hasn't yet been confirmed
BMW hasn't ruled out a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive version that could bring the entry price closer to £50,000
Nothing beyond the launch 50 xDrive is confirmed for the UK at this stage
How Much Will It Cost To Salary Sacrifice The 2026 BMW i3?
Benefit-in-kind (BiK) tax is the tax an employee pays on a company car, calculated as a percentage of the car's value that depends on its emissions. BiK for zero-emission cars follows a confirmed schedule:
2026/27: 4% (current rate)
2027/28: 5%
2028/29: 7%
2029/30: 9%
For comparison, the highest-emission petrol equivalents sit at up to 37% BiK, rising to 38% in 2028/29 and 39% in 2029/30. On a car priced at £53,005, the 2026/27 rate of 4% produces an estimated taxable benefit of roughly £2,120 a year, a fraction of what an equivalent petrol executive saloon would generate. For employees weighing up a company car allowance against a scheme car, that gap is often the deciding factor. See what a car in this bracket could look like on salary sacrifice by using our calculator.
Salary sacrifice works by paying for the vehicle, insurance, servicing, maintenance, breakdown cover and road tax from pre-tax salary. In practice, that typically means:
Employees save 20-50% compared with a personal lease on the same car
Employers save on the National Insurance contributions they would otherwise pay on the sacrificed portion of salary
No large upfront payment, with insurance and maintenance bundled into a single monthly cost
Employers using The Electric Car Scheme also benefit from Complete Employer Protection, which removes financial risk if an employee leaves the business partway through a lease, covering redundancy, dismissal, long-term sickness and resignation after an initial three-month period, with no excess or usage caps involved.
Why Compare It With The Electric Car Scheme Rather Than Elsewhere:
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Real customer experiences are covered in honest salary sacrifice car reviews
As a newly launched model, an exact net monthly cost for the i3 depends on salary, tax rate and contract length, so a single figure isn't quoted here. Employees can model a similarly priced car against their own salary and mileage using our quote tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There A New BMW i3 Coming Out?
Yes. BMW revealed the new i3 on 18 March 2026 as a four-door electric saloon built on its Neue Klasse platform. It's not related to the 2013-2022 i3 city car and instead sits as the electric equivalent of the 3 Series, with UK deliveries expected from autumn 2026.
How Much Is The BMW i3 Neue Klasse In The UK?
The First Edition specification is priced from £57,905 and available to order now, ahead of the standard i3 50 xDrive, which is priced from £53,005 and reaches showrooms at the official autumn 2026 market launch. Both figures were confirmed directly by BMW in June 2026.
How Much Will The Neue Klasse Cost?
Pricing varies across the growing Neue Klasse range rather than sitting at a single figure. The i3 starts from £53,005, while the related iX3 SUV is already on sale at its own separate price point, and further Neue Klasse models, including a petrol-electric 3 Series and Touring variants, are still to be confirmed.
What Is The New BMW i3 2027?
In some markets, the launch i3 is referred to by its 2027 model year rather than the year it was revealed. It's the same car described throughout this article: the Neue Klasse i3 50 xDrive, unveiled in March 2026 with UK deliveries following from autumn 2026.
What Is The Lifespan Of A BMW i3 Battery?
This depends on which i3 is meant. The original 2013-2022 i3 built a strong reputation for battery durability, with owners reporting only marginal capacity loss over high mileage. The new Neue Klasse i3 carries its own eight-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty alongside a standard three-year, unlimited-mileage vehicle warranty.
The new BMW i3 gives BMW its longest-range electric model to date and reframes what a Neue Klasse saloon can offer over the outgoing i4, with a genuine 563/567-mile WLTP figure, 400kW charging and a from-launch price that came in below early estimates. It's not yet the cheapest way into an electric BMW, and a smaller entry-level variant is still to be confirmed
For company car drivers and fleet managers, the appeal is straightforward: a long-range, fast-charging premium saloon sitting on the same 4% BiK rate as far cheaper zero-emission cars. Once its Neue Klasse specification is confirmed as live stock in The Electric Car Scheme's system, the i3 is likely to become a strong option for higher-rate taxpayers who have been holding out for more range before switching from petrol.
Get a head start and calculate your savings on a comparable car now.
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Last updated: 20.08.26
Our pricing is based on data collected from The Electric Car Scheme quote tool. All final pricing is inclusive of VAT. All prices above are based on the following lease terms; 10,000 miles pa, 36 months, and are inclusive of Maintenance and Breakdown Cover. The Electric Car Scheme’s terms and conditions apply. All deals are subject to credit approval and availability. All deals are subject to excess mileage and damage charges. Prices are calculated based on the following tax saving assumptions; England & Wales, 40% tax rate. The above prices were calculated using a flat payment profile. The Electric Car Scheme Limited provides services for the administration of your salary sacrifice employee benefits. The Electric Car Scheme Holdings Limited is a member of the BVRLA (10608), is authorised and regulated by the FCA under FRN 968270, is an Appointed Representative of Marshall Management Services Ltd under FRN 667174, and is a credit broker and not a lender or insurance provider.
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