The BMW i3 (120Ah) and the BMW i3s (120Ah): Pricing and specifications announced for New Zealand.

Since its launch the premium compact BMW i3 has powered commuters, families and switched-on drivers looking to reduce emissions without having to compromise on driving pleasure. Staying true to the BMW i ethos of combining emissions-free travel with dynamic handling and performance, the new, all-electric BMW i3 and i3s are once again leading the charge with a larger battery cell capacity and an increased range.

BMW i3 New Zealand range pricing*:

        BMW i3 (120Ah)              $77,200

        BMW i3s (120Ah)            $85,900

*Recommended retail pricing, excluding on-road costs.

Doubling in size, the new battery on the all-electric BMW i3 and i3s now has a capacity of 120Ah and a gross energy content of 42.2kWh.

During everyday use, the two models are now able to cover a distance of 260 kilometres – an increase of almost 30 per cent from the previous 94Ah models. The combined power consumption of the BMW i3 is 13.1kWh per 100km while the BMW i3s has a power consumption of 14.6kWh per 100km.

Charging.

Maintaining reserves and charging the BMW i3 and i3s is fed through high-quality electronics to allow fast and flexible charging of the lithium-ion cells compatible with rapid-charging stations, public charging as well as charging at home. Using rapid-charging stations that run on DC power, the charging capacity is 50kW and this way the high voltage battery will reach 80 per cent of its total power in just 42 minutes.

Charging via the BMW i Wallbox enables fast charging with a capacity of 7.4 kW. Here the time required to achieve an 80 per cent charge of the large-capacity high-voltage battery is 4.9 hours.

Exterior design.

The unmistakable exterior of the BMW i3 styling has already picked up the Gold iF award for product design and the World Car Design of the Year award along with other accolades, but new design touches have been introduced to convey the sporty and stirring driving experience on offer.

The trademark BMW i Black Belt running from the bonnet over the roof to the car’s rear end is now complemented by A-pillars and roof lines that also sport a black finish. Its characteristic shaping is closely linked to the LifeDrive vehicle architecture, which combines an aluminium chassis with a passenger cell made carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). The range of paint finishes has been extended to include Jucaro metallic with accentuations in Frozen Grey. Mineral Grey metallic, Imperial Blue metallic, Melbourne Red metallic, Capparis White and Fluid Black paint finishes are still available.

LED headlights are standard, while Adaptive LED headlights are now optionally available with an automatic selective dip function for the high beam. Innovative design and technology mean that the high beam will give the driver increased visibility range without dazzling other road users. As soon as the front camera registers an oncoming vehicle or a vehicle travelling ahead in the same direction, the space in which this vehicle is located is illuminated using the low beam only. The remaining areas of the road continue to be illuminated by the high beam. Adaptive LED headlight functions also include the cornering light and the high beam assistant.

Upgrades to standard specification.

Further to the already high level of standard specification, the BMW i3 (120Ah) and i3s (120Ah) now include wireless mobile phone charging capability, located under the front centre armrest.

As with all New Zealand-new BMW vehicles a five year warranty, three year service inclusive programme and five year roadside assist coverage is fully included.

The new BMW i3 (120Ah) and i3s (120Ah) are arriving at BMW i dealers from mid-February 2019.