BMW i3, a special car from China, compares with BMW i4, an international model.

Bmw i3 vs: my experience with these two electric cars.

Until recently, nameplates were usually associated with electrodynamics. Now, BMW has given the i3 a new meaning. The brand completed the production of hatchbacks in the summer of 2022, and re-launched the i3 as a full-range, exclusively for the China market, while the 3 Series has always been the leader in the high-end compact market segment in China.

Interestingly,Bmw i4It is also new. After personally experiencing these two cars, the following are the differences I found during the use of electric cars.

design

Although BMW i3 is currently sold only in China, i4 is sold worldwide and produced in Germany. BMW fans will not complain about the grille of the i3, because it imitates the front of the gasoline model.

There are two configurations: BMW i3 eDrive35L and BMW i3 eDrive40L. The last letter means that its length is 10 cm longer than that of ordinary 3 Series cars. The model discussed in this paper is BMW i3 eDrive35L.

BMW seems to have standardized the design of its electric car. andiX1andiX3Similarly, the BMW i3 sedan also uses a closed kidney grille with a shiny back. Its overall design is based on G20 3 series design. I4 is unique because of its huge grille, which extends to the lower air intake and has more than doubled in size.

Both electric cars are equipped with wheels. The BMW i3 sedan is equipped with 19-inch wheels, while the BMW i4 offers 18-inch and 19-inch wheel options on the American i4 eDrive40. More importantly, the size of i3 (191.8 inches) is longer than that of i4(188.5 inches). The wheelbase of i3 (116.7 inches) is also longer than that of i4(112.4 inches).

BMW has adopted a radical rear bumper design for these two electric car brothers and sisters. Interestingly, the wheelbase of i3 is longer than that of i4.

At the rear, the BMW i3 sedan is equipped with the same LED taillights as the 3 Series. In other words, both i3 and i4 are equipped with aggressive rear bumpers and optimized for air efficiency.

Interior decoration and characteristics

The interior of BMW i3 car is quite different from that of 3 Series. In fact, it is more in line with i4, despite its unique center console and door decoration design. The digital space of these two cars is the same. Both i3 and i4 use curved display panels, equipped with a 14.9-inch central touch screen infotainment system and a 12.3-inch digital cockpit.

The BMW i3 sedan is equipped with the M steering wheel on the sports i4 M50. Although the design is similar to the dashboard architecture, i4 is one of the first electric vehicles to turn to iDrive 8.5. Photo: BMW

However, the center console is unique. The gear selector of BMW i3 car is located behind the steering wheel, while i4 has a suitable gear lever. In other words, both cars have the same physical buttons for climate control and driving mode. Interestingly, the i3 is equipped with an M steering wheel (or a closely matched unit), which also appears on the i4 M50.

Both cars are equipped with BMW iDrive 8 software, and i4 recently switched to 8.5, which is simpler and more intuitive to operate compared with the older generation operating system. I3′ s system is compatible with WeChat, Small Scene 2.0, and other popular domestic platforms. It also supports.

specifications

Powered by a single motor mounted on the car, the BMW i3 eDrive35L can produce 282 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. It is equipped with a 66.1 kWh battery and can travel 327 miles with CLTC certification. On the other hand, the BMW i4 eDrive40 has a power of 335 HP and a torque of 317 lb-ft. It is equipped with a larger 81.5 kWh battery, which can provide a cruising range of 301 miles under the EPA cycle.

With the addition of i3 eDrive40L, the obvious performance advantages enjoyed by i4 single motor are short-lived. However, in the comparison between the two cars, the dual-motor eDrive40 variant is still the king of performance.

China specifications of BMW i4 and BMW i3 cars. Source:

The first equipped 3 series

A novelty of BMW i3 car is the adaptive air suspension on the rear axle. This marks a watershed in the 47-year history of the 3 Series, because this is the first time that a customer has equipped an air suspension on a 3 Series model, which is also a standard configuration. However, this model is of China specifications, and the international version is unlikely to inherit this function in the current or next generation.

Both front and rear suspensions adopt hydraulic rebound damping technology, and with adaptive rear suspension, the riding quality on bumpy roads is said to be more stable. The height of the BMW i3 sedan is also 1.73 inches (44 mm) lower than that of the gasoline-powered 3 Series. The company said that the R&D department has reformed the parts and fine-tuned the suspension to adapt to the local market. BMW i4 has adopted a similar configuration in the global market, equipped with adaptive rear axle air suspension.

BMW fans in China have two matching electric cars to choose from.

Price and manufacturing

The price of BMW i3 eDrive35L is 359 RMB (US$ 49,811) in 900 yuan, and it was launched in China in May 2022. The price of i4 is higher in the local market, starting at 429 yuan (US$ 59,499) in 900 yuan. On board2026 BMW 3 Series of BMW Neue Klasse PlatformBefore the arrival, BMW is unlikely to offer i3 cars on the international market.

The i3 sedan is produced in the BMW Group’s most productive manufacturing plant in China. The electric 3 series is produced in Lydia factory of BMW Brilliance Automobile Co., Ltd. Lydia is a district of Shenyang City. On the other hand, BMW i4 has been produced in the German factory with a history of 100 years since October 2021.

The last thought

After spending quite a long time on these two German electric cars, I found that I chose i4 because of its rear style and more aggressive styling. Indeed, the i3 is more practical in terms of interior space, larger windows and more comfortable rear seats. However, since my main purpose is autonomous driving, I would choose the M50 variant with dual motors if I had a choice, so I would choose i4 between the two.