The next-gen electric BMW 3 Series will debut on March 18

BMW is gearing up for a very, very busy 2026, especially since we’ll be seeing one of its core models, the 3 Series, finally get an entirely new generation this year. We’ve caught a glimpse of the Neue Klasse sedan during the iX3’s launch last year, and it seems that BMW is gearing up to reveal the model to the world this March 18.

Specifically, BMW will be showing off the electric i3 first, similar to how the iX3 came first. In an Instagram teaser, we get to see the i3’s light-up horizontal split kidney grille that also houses the new daytime running light designs.

However, BMW has been busy testing the vehicle in cold weather at its winter test center in Arjeplog, Sweden. It also confirmed the first variant called the i3 50 xDrive, using the sixth-generation BMW eDrive powertrain with two electric motors. Power output is pegged at 469 horsepower and 645Nm of torque. It’s based on an 800V architecture, allowing peak charging rates of up to 400kW.

Combined with the Heart of Joy control systems, this allows for more consistent and predictable cornering, the ability to do soft-stop, allowing the electric motors to smooth out the transition from regenerative to mechanical braking, and energy recuperation is at its most efficient.

And before you think that the new 3-Series will be an EV-only affair, we will eventually see this Neue Klasse platform expand to other forms of propulsion.

^{Photos from BMW}