BMW’s first-ever production electric car, the BMW i3s, first made its Malaysian debut last year at Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS) 2018 where it caught a lot of buzz. To live up to its hype, BMW Malaysia announced that it is now available for purchase at RM278,800 (OTR price without insurance). (more…)
BMW Malaysia made a huge leap forward for electric cars in Malaysia with the introduction of the first ever Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) or pure electric vehicle for the Malaysian market.
This is a huge thing for Malaysians because after years of waiting and over 120,000 units of the i3 delivered worldwide, the highly acclaimed i3 is finally here.
The i3S is unique not because it is powered by batteries alone (shown below) with no internal combustion engine, but also because 80% of the car is built with recycled and renewable resources. It produces zero emission, which means your drive near or far will have zero effects on the environment.
Being fully electric, the i3S is capable of a 260km range on full charge in everyday use. Power consumption is rated at 14.3kWh for every 100km.
But the i3S is not about environmental friendliness alone, it is also capable of some impressive performance, though not in the supercar sense.
The i3S and its synchronous electric motor with a single-speed automatic transmission produces 184hp and 270Nm of torque. This is good for a 6.9 second acceleration to 100km/h, and on to a top speed of 160km/h. Impressive figures for a small car designed for comfort and eco-friendliness.
BMW says that the i3S also has the handling to match its performance. The car boasts sports suspension with custom-made springs, dampers and anti-roll bars.
It also comes with driving modes that includes Sports mode, for a more direct connection to the accelerator and tighter steering characteristics.
Typically of BMW, the i3S features the usual armada of electronic safety nets such as Dynamic Stability Control and Dynamic Traction Control, Cornering Brake Control, Dynamic Brake Control and Antilock Braking System with Brake Assist.
The shell of the car, or rather the passenger cell of the car is made of ultra-strong carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) which not only makes the car safer, but also makes it incredibly lightweight.
The interior too is a grand place to be in, with a sharp focus on comfort, innovation and spaciousness. As mentioned earlier, 80% of the visible surface of the car is made of recycled materials that includes recycled plastics, natural fibres and open-pored, unbleached eucalyptus wood.
The interior of the i3S features the BMW i Interior Design Suite with a sophisticated instrument panel and exquisite upholstery in Dark Truffle Leather Vernasca. This is complemented by a Carum Spice Grey headliner and a premium leather steering-wheel.
The biggest question when it comes to electric cars though – is the amount of time it takes to reach full charge. The i3S reaches an electric range of 180km in under three hours, but this is done by the BMW i Wallbox that provides 11kW of charging power.
The i Wallbox is equipped with Wifi access and can be operated seamlessly via a smartphone, smartwatch, PC or tablet, and can access all features of the BMW Digital Charging Service.
The i3S also comes with BMW’s ConnectedDrive system that offers services including Intelligent Emergency Call, Concierge Services and Remote Services.
The BMW i3S is priced at RM279,000 and with BMW’s Dynamic Financial Program, you will be looking at a monthly payment of RM3,188 (based on 80% loan on a five-year tenure).
The ever popular small premium EV, the BMW i3, has received a mide-life facelift in the shape of some design tweaks and increased performance. As a whole, its still the cheerful car as before but now has a wider track and wheel arch molding contours that run along the body, horizontally.
New to the range is the addition of a sportier version called the i3s. Though similar in design, there are subtle hints that make it out to be the sportier variant of the lot. These features include, at the front, the bumper inlay and its U-shaped surroundings are in black finish.
The front fascia’s side sections are bordered on their lower edge by accent strips in BMW’s i Blue or Frozen Grey colours. The contrasting scheme does add a sense of sportiness to the car.
The signature kidney grille is painted in high-gloss black and consists of a more prominent design. Such is the case for the the rear apron which has a black surround frame that is extra wide and comes with body coloured inlay.
Underneath the new exterior, the i3s is fitted with a sports suspension, which drops the ride height about 10mm compared to the base car. Exclusive 20-inch lightweight alloy rims are standard for the variant too, which are slightly wider than before.
Overall the i3 now has an improved Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system and a faster responsing Traction Control System. This means that drivers can now have a bit more fun before the safety net cuts in and spoils their fun.
BMW’s standard i3 is powered by a 170bhp synchronous electric motor but the i3s comes with a slightly more powerful 184bhp one. Due to the increase in power, the latter is also about 0.4 seconds faster from 0-100km/h at 6.8 seconds.
The new i3 is also available as a range extender version that features a two-cylinder petrol engine, which generates electricity to the electric motor once the car’s battery pack has depleted.
Speaking of power, BMW is now offering an electric charger called TurboCord that has the ability to charge the i3 three times faster than what the standard charger is capable of.
There are a number of driver assistance systems that are availble with the car aside from the latest iDrive 6 interface, which include Active Driving Assistant and Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go.
Other than that, there’s also Advanced Real-Time Traffic Information and ConnectedDrive Services and a navigation system. When equipped with the Technology and Driving Assistance Package, Apple CarPlay can be enabled and the i3 also gets a useful system called Park Distance Control.
This 2018 i3 will debut at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in September 2017. Check out the the picture gallery below and let us know whether the i3 is more appealing than the vehicle it replaces.
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