If you’ve been hoping car bloat would somehow suddenly come to an end, we’ve got bad news for you. The new i3 is larger in every dimension than the outgoing 3 Series, and logic suggests that the next-generation combustion-engine sedan will grow even further. Before BMW uncovers the “G50” in the coming months, here’s how its electric counterpart measures up against the soon-to-be-retired “G20.”
At 4,760 millimeters long, the electric i3 is 47 mm longer than the 3 Series currently available at dealerships. BMW’s first all-new electric sedan of the Neue Klasse era is also 38 mm wider, measuring 1,865 mm across. It’s no surprise given the large battery pack underneath, but the i3 is also 40 mm taller, at 1,480 mm. The wheelbase has grown as well, stretching 46 mm to 2,897 mm.
It wouldn’t be fair to compare the i3’s weight with that of a combustion-engine 3 Series given the substantial mass penalty of the EV’s battery pack. However, it’s worth noting that BMW’s new electric sedan is heavier than the old long-wheelbase i3 sold exclusively in China. The “NA0” tips the scales at 2,205 kilograms in generously equipped 50 xDrive First Edition guise, whereas the lesser-known electric “G28” was 118 kg lighter in eDrive40L specification. That said, the new i3 features all-wheel drive and a significantly larger battery, 108.7 kWh versus 78.92 kWh, so it’s not a like-for-like comparison.
The BMW 3 Series Keeps Growing
BMW remains tight-lipped about the next-generation 3 Series but already classifies the i3 as a member of the 3 Series family. It’s highly unlikely the EV will be larger than the combustion-engine sedan. If anything, the opposite appears true. Spy photos have revealed even more generous proportions for the ICE model, including a longer front section designed to accommodate six-cylinder engines in the M350 and M3. As a result, expect the G50 to be slightly longer.
BMW has an even bigger 3 Series in China: the long-wheelbase i3 (“NA8”). There’s a good chance BMW is also planning a stretched combustion-powered 3 Series (“G58”), one that will be even larger than the “G28.” As a reminder, the outgoing long-wheelbase 3er already measures 4,829 mm in length, making it nearly as large as an E60 5 Series or an E23 7 Series.
We’ll have all the definitive numbers for the new 3 Series once the global eighth-generation model debuts in the coming months with a standard wheelbase. The “G50” will be the first 3er BMW won’t build in Munich, with production moving to Dingolfing. Then again, the Munich-built i3 is officially classified as a 3 Series, so perhaps that statement isn’t technically accurate. An i3 Touring will join the Munich assembly lines this decade, and BMW has left the door open for a Dingolfing-built 3 Series wagon with combustion engines.
2026 BMW iX3 50 xDrive First Edition technical specifications
| Length | 4760 mm |
|---|---|
| Width | 1865 mm |
| Height | 1480 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2897 mm |
| Weight | 2205 kg |
| Cargo capacity (rear) | 420 liters |
| Cargo capacity (front) | 31 liters |
| Horsepower | 463 hp |
| Torque | 645 Nm |
| 0-100 km/h time | 4.7 seconds |
| Top speed | 200 km/h |
| Battery net capacity | 108.7 kWh |
| WLTP range for i3 First Edition with 19-inch wheels | 906 km |
| WLTP range for standard i3 | 912 km |
| 10-80% charge time (at 400 kW) | 21 minutes |
| 10-minute charge (at 400 kW) range | 320–423 km |
First published by https://bit.ly/3sM6JoH
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