Saturday morning – BMW Sytner Birmingham
BMW’s new i3 electric car is proving quite popular with over 100,000 people registered on a waiting list for test drives (according to BMW’s execs). So how was it? Well, the BMW i3 is unlike any other BMW I’ve driven before.
First big difference: it’s all electric. The lithium-ion batteries give the i3 an estimated range of 80 to 100 miles. Only 30 minutes to recharge it completely if you’re using an SAE DC Combo fast charger. If not, a 220-volt home-charging station will get the job done in three hours. Which is still very efficient!
The i3 is a 5-door, 4-passenger car, with a carbon-fibre body that BMW proudly shows off along the car door sills. Therefore, it weighs in at just 1,195kg (300kg lighter than the Nissan Leaf).
The i3 retains the BMW kidney-grille even though they blanked it out to improve aerodynamics, and if you have a look on the bonnet, you’ll find a pretty cool Eco version of the BMW logo, with nice blue detailing around.
Design-wise, the i3 has quite a graphical look with its muscular haunches and layered exterior. The entire centre section (bonnet, roof & boot) is rendered in a gloss black, regardless of what primary exterior colour you choose.
What about the interior? Well, it all depends on the trim choice you’ll make 🙂 Three options: “Loft” (white, pure), “Lodge” (Eucalyptus wood, the best finish in my opinion) and “Suite” (full leather). Or you can simply keep the standard finish (black and blue, a bit bold I’d say).
There is no centre stack in the front – which means you can exit on either side of the car should you need too. It also means you can enter the car from the passenger side when a douche bag parks his car so close you can’t open your door. Yay!!
Something I really don’t like… the interior door panels. They are manufactured from a recycled material, which is a good idea in itself. But unfortunately, I think it looks unfinished, cold, hard and hairy… It actually made me think about a compressed attic insulation.
Right, let’s go for a drive… As a confirmed petrolhead, I really enjoy the sound of an engine, the smell of petrol and scaring pedestrians with Rex’s “surprise” flames. So, driving such a silent and clean car is definitely an experience in itself!
As BMW says, “the i3 is a single pedal driving concept”. I didn’t get it at first. It still has traditional accelerator and brake pedals of course, but in fact, you don’t need to use the latter much. As soon as you lift off the accelerator pedal, the car begins slowing significantly. Driving manual cars most of the time, it was a weird feeling for me. But don’t worry, you get used to it after a couple of minutes. Plus, I guess that after a while, it adds to the ease of the i3.
The ride is firm, quite nippy. In fact, the guys at Pocket Lint took an i3 to Brands Hatch where they put it to the test in a series of somewhat amusing challenges. One that showed how the BMW i3 is faster to 30 mph than a BMW M3. I told you 😉 By BMW’s numbers, the i3 can go 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds.
Don’t expect a “sport” mode in the i3 😉 The three choices are Comfort (80-100 miles range), Eco Pro, and Eco Pro+ (up to 118 miles). The latter two modes extend range by cutting top speed, throttle response, climate settings in order to squeeze in some extra miles.
The i3 satnav, with its 3G Internet connection and combined with the ‘BMW iConnected Drive Services’ will plot your route and compare it to your battery range. It will find you charging points if required and even show you if they’re available or in use in real time.
With the i3, you’ll also be able to lean out of bed, start the BMW i App to check if the car is fully charged, and even heat up or cool down the cabin before you leave the house in the morning. Ok, you could do that in other electric cars already. But still! This is cool.
Overall, I’m satisfied with BMW’s first electric car, it’s really good. So, if you’re ready to go for electric, want something more upscale than the Nissan Leaf, but aren’t quite ready to shell out the budget needed for a Tesla Model S, than the i3 is perfect for you.
Price-wise, once the government’s 5k electric car grant applied, the all-electric i3 will cost you £24,950 and the range-extender £28,100.
Thank you to Sonny, Adrian and Malcolm from BMW Sytner – Birmingham for being so welcoming and helpful.
Right, that’s all for now. I can’t wait to see the i8, which will be out some time next year. I reckon it will be an awesome car.
Little Miss Piston 