BMW has introduced a new entry-level specification for its new fully-electric i3 Saloon. The new i3 40 xDrive sits below the 50 xDrive launch model, and is confirmed to have UK pricing starting at £47,925 – just a few thousand more than the petrol-powered BMW 320’s starting price of £44,975, whilst offering dramatically lower running costs and heaps more performance.
New BMW i3 model achieves near price parity with its petrol-powered brother
BMW already revealed the i3 saloon earlier this year, with the launch-specification i3 50 xDrive boasting a segment-leading range of 559 miles and 400kW public recharging capabilities. Pricing for this specification is confirmed to start at £53,425 in the UK, but BMW has confirmed a more affordable i3 40 xDrive specification, coming in at £47,925 – making it more competitive against other EV options such as the Polestar 2, BYD Seal, and Tesla Model 3.
Despite the price drop, there isn’t too much compromise compared to the 50 xDrive. Range stands at 441 miles, which still remains impressive for an electric saloon in 2026. There’s a slight drop in power from 469hp to 374hp, but it’s still enough to deliver a punchy 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds. That’s also a whole lot faster than the entry to BMW’s petrol 3 Series range, the closely-priced 320, which makes do with 211hp and a 0-62mph time of 7.4 seconds. The maximum recharging speed of the 40 xDrive takes a slight hit compared to the 50 xDrive though, at a maximum of 300kW compared to 400kW.
BMW have also confirmed the arrival of a fully-electric, performance-oriented i3 M60 xDrive that’ll debut in 2027, but further details are yet to be revealed. Order books for the launch i3 already started earlier this year, and it’s proved popular so far, just like its bigger SUV brother, the iX3. The range capabilities and efficiency BMW’s Neue Klasse platform brings suggests BMW’s on to a winner with these latest fully-electric models.
