BMW Leaks Neue Klasse i3 Design Ahead of March 18 Debut
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- BMW accidentally posted a design video for the new i3 EV on Instagram two days before its March 18 reveal; the video was quickly deleted after user Wilco Blok captured screenshots.
- The i3 will be the second Neue Klasse EV after the iX3 and the first sedan in the lineup, with pre-series production already underway at BMW's winter test center in Sweden and series production set for H2 2026.
- Expected to carry the iX3's 108.7 kWh battery pack, the Neue Klasse i3 targets up to 805 km (500 miles) of WLTP range and roughly 373 km (231 miles) recovered in 10 minutes of charging.
- The leaked interior reveals a 17.9" central touchscreen, a redesigned steering wheel, and BMW's new iDrive system paired with Panoramic Vision — a head-up display spanning the windshield.
- BMW is positioning the i3 as a direct Tesla Model 3 rival, with US availability in 40 xDrive and 50 xDrive variants per its accidentally leaked 2027 lineup.
- The leaked styling stays close to the classic 3 Series — a resemblance the source calls "perhaps a little too close," even while framing it as an improvement over BMW's current EV lineup.
- To clear showroom space for Neue Klasse models, BMW is offering stackable discounts worth up to $12,500 plus low financing rates on its outgoing EV inventory.
Why it matters: BMW has called the Neue Klasse its most important vehicle architecture in company history, and the i3 — its first sedan on that platform and a direct Model 3 competitor — is the lineup's highest-stakes debut. With up to $12,500 in stackable discounts being offered on current EVs to clear inventory, BMW is essentially conceding that the outgoing lineup must move before the Neue Klasse era arrives.
![BMW’s menacing new EV concept offers an early look at the first electric M3 [Images]](https://electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/BMW-M-Concept-EV-i3.jpeg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1400)
