BMW I3s: Sportiness Has Its Price

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 05:39

What, if you go, was BMW thinking? Instead of equipping his i3 electric car with more range, the Munich-based company gives it more sportiness as the i3s. Does this make sense?

More dynamism is all well and good, but ultimately the customer demands one thing above all: range. No, they say at BMW, that is not the case across the board. The BMW i3s are offered precisely because customers are demanding even more driving pleasure from an electric car.

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Those who prefer sportiness in an electric car will in fact get an even more agile vehicle with the i3s. But he not only pays for this with a higher entry price (41,150 euros), but also with a range that is 20 kilometers less.

BMW i3s with a theoretical range of 280 kilometers

Compared to the i3 (37,550 euros), the BMW i3s only covers 280 kilometers. And that is only a theoretical value, because with the winter temperatures of sometimes minus eight degrees in Berlin just under three weeks ago, 180 kilometers were over - even though we were traveling in the energy-saving eco mode.

Instead of a consumption of 14.3 kWh, our tours through Berlin's city traffic were mostly in the range of 19 kWh. The icy temperatures of the past few weeks have played their part. But in the meantime the weather in Berlin has decided to come up with temperatures that are appropriate for the season.

In times when e-cars such as a Nissan Leaf have a real range of 350 kilometers or a Renault Zoe more than 300 kilometers, the Munich-based company is at least in the middle of the field - despite the self-confident price.

i3s with impressive dynamics

But what really sets BMW apart with this i3 is the dynamics. Although it is already available in a conventional electric car, the i3s has gone a little further. Instead of 170 hp, the i3s has 184 hp. And the maximum torque (which is known to be instantaneous in an electric car) has been increased from 250 to 270 Nm. On the road, this means a sprint time of just 6.9 seconds (i3: 7.3 seconds) to accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h. Not only does it sound good, it feels even better.

If you step on the accelerator in the i3s, you are pressed firmly into your seats. At the traffic lights, this acceleration causes one or the other sports car driver to look surprised - and for the driver to be satisfied that they have opted for an electric car. But all too often you shouldn't indulge in this little boy ritual. Because if you only care about sportiness, you will ultimately have even less range available than we did during the test drives in Eco mode.

Dynamic stability control optimized

The acceleration is one thing, the dynamics another. Among other things, BMW has optimized the dynamic stability control. As a result, a quick changeover and better dynamics should be achieved under the various road surface conditions. At the same time, a wheel speed limiter should enable better acceleration. Since there was no direct comparison to the i3, we just leave BMW's statement as it is. Looking at the personal driving impression, however, it can be said that the i3s can indeed be moved in an extremely sporty and fairly confident manner even through fast corners.

In the sum of its properties, the i3s leaves a very positive overall impression. It remains to be seen whether it really has to be to trim an electric car for sportiness. But in the end, the customer decides what is more important to them: more performance or more range. Personally, more reach is more important to me. Because the suitability for everyday use is noticeably increased. Accordingly, it is to be hoped that BMW will once again upgrade its two e-cars with a larger battery with a view to the range. Because the competition, see above, is doing better here than the premium manufacturer BMW.