BMW released i3 domestic pure electric car: 349,900 standard Tesla Model 3, L2 can help users let go of driving at low speed

Domestic BMW adds two more blockbuster new models!

Just last night, BMW unveiled two new cars at the live broadcast conference, one of which is a pure electric model of the 3-series family – BMW i3, priced at 349,900 yuan, and the other is a domestic long-wheelbase BMW. X5, the starting price is 605,000 yuan.

▲ BMW X5 and i3 price

The two cars released this time have many highlights. Among them, the BMW i3 has stronger power and longer wheelbase than the domestic 3 series, and is also equipped with rear axle air suspension. In terms of intelligence, it is equipped with the same iDrive 8 locomotive as the flagship iX model and an L2-level automatic driving system that includes commanded lane changes and low-speed hands-free driving.

With a price of 349,900 yuan, the BMW i3 competes directly with the pure electric king Tesla Model 3 in this price range.

▲ BMW i3 vs Tesla Model 3

The BMW Brilliance X5 has more configurations exclusive to the Chinese market, as well as a longer wheelbase and a relatively lower price, which will set off a lot of waves in the luxury SAV market.

In 2021, BMW’s domestic sales will become the number one luxury brand, reaching 846,000 units. Entering 2022, in the face of the continuous increase in the penetration rate of pure electric vehicles, BMW has also successively launched more competitive models such as iX3 and i3. At the same time, after the domestic production of the BMW X5, it has more optimized configurations for Chinese users, and it also has a higher cost performance.

1. The “electric shock” of the 3 series family directly targets the Model 3

From the appearance point of view, the BMW i3 is quite different from the fuel version of the 3 series. Its body size is basically similar to the fuel version of the BMW 3 series, but the wheelbase is 115mm longer, reaching 2966mm.

In the front face part, the BMW i3 adopts a closed front grille and adopts a larger contour shape. The lower part of the front face still retains the air intake, and the air intake in the middle can realize active air intake control. When the air intake is open, the incoming air can participate in the thermal cycle of the vehicle. When the air intake is not required, the wind resistance coefficient of the whole vehicle can be reduced by 0.03Cd after closing the air inlet, so that the wind resistance coefficient of the whole vehicle can reach 0.24Cd.

▲ BMW i3

Shark gill air intakes are used on the sides of the vehicle. These two air intakes can balance the internal and external pressure differences caused by the rolling of the front wheels, thereby reducing wind resistance. The shark gills of most models are just decorative parts.

▲ BMW i3 side view

At the rear of the vehicle, it is more obvious that the huge diffuser is decorated with blue, which is very electric vehicle style.

The power system of the BMW i3 is a single motor on the rear axle, with a maximum power of 210kW (about 285 horsepower), which is stronger than the paper parameters of the Tesla Model 3 rear-wheel drive model. But maybe because the i3 body is bigger and heavier, the acceleration from 100 km/h is 0.1 seconds slower, and 6.2 seconds to break 100.

The BMW i3 adopts BMW’s fifth-generation eDrive electric drive technology, which is the same generation as the previously listed iX3, iX, and i4, but the performance tuning is slightly different. The BMW i3 uses an excitation synchronous motor that is rare in the industry, which not only achieves better continuous performance, but also has a longer life.

▲ BMW i3 rear

The power battery is a high-nickel ternary lithium battery with a capacity of 70kWh, and the CLTC battery life can reach 526km. The CLTC range of the two cars is relatively close, and the Tesla Model 3 is slightly higher by 30km.

In order to ensure the stability of driving control, the rear chassis of the BMW i3 is equipped with a rear anti-roll bar, and the front cabin is equipped with a front shock absorber top pull rod, which ensures the rigidity and driving stability of the vehicle. The front and rear suspension is also equipped with innovative hydraulic damping technology, and the rear axle is equipped with an adaptive air suspension, which will make the ride more comfortable on bumpy roads.

▲ BMW i3 front cabin

If you compare the Tesla Model 3, the best-selling sedan in the pure electric market, the absolute performance parameters are basically the same, but BMW has more luxury configurations at the driving level, making the i3 more competitive.

2. Intelligent configuration is the highlight. L2 can be released at low speed

In fact, the biggest highlight of the BMW i3 is its intelligent configuration, which also competes with the intelligent configuration of the Tesla Model 3.

Entering the cockpit of the BMW i3, the front seat space is exactly the same as the fuel version of the 3 Series, and the rear seat angle and seating position have been fine-tuned. Sitting in the front row, you can see that the dual screen is completely different from the fuel 3 series. The BMW i3 uses a dual curved screen with a 12.3-inch instrument + 14.9-inch central control. The pixel density of these two screens exceeds 200ppi, which is definitely the top in the automotive industry. With the HUD, you can get common driving information without tilting your head.

▲ BMW i3 central control area

BMW i3 is the first domestic model equipped with iDrive 8. Before this, only two models of BMW iX and i4 were launched, while i3 is a luxury model with a more affordable price.

Judging from the previous experience of the car, iDrive 8 has built-in BMW operating system 8.0, has an updated UI design interface, and is also equipped with Tencent Small Scene, Tmall Genie, QQ Music and other solutions to cooperate with domestic content providers. The localization adaptation has been relatively perfect.

▲ BMW i3 is equipped with WeChat car version

Among them, Tencent’s small scenes include the WeChat car version of the national social app, and the 36 Krypton Zhixing version, and even daily English listening, a total of 24 small scenes. These small scenes are similar to small programs in mobile phones, and can be used directly without downloading. Later OTA updates can also easily add new small scenes.

Another intelligence of the BMW i3 is the intelligent driving solution.

The BMW i3 can be equipped with the automatic driving assistance system Pro. This system is the same as the iX3 model. It is not the latest in BMW’s production cars in terms of hardware, but it is BMW’s strongest in terms of function.

▲ BMW i3 assisted driving camera

This system uses the Mobileye EyeQ4 chip solution and uses three single front-view cameras.

At the same time, the BMW i3 is also equipped with 5 millimeter-wave radars, including one forward long-range millimeter-wave radar and 4 short-range angle radars.

These sensor chips can realize the L2-level autonomous driving function of the i3. The biggest highlight of this system is that it can let go of driving in congested roads. When the highway is congested, press the mode button of the steering wheel, you can completely release your hands to drive, you only need to look at the road ahead.

This feature is quite rare in the industry. The only Cadillac SuperCruise in the industry that allows drivers to let go of driving is also allowed to let go, but it also relies on high-definition maps. BMW’s L2 system does not need to rely on high-precision maps.

In addition to the traffic jam assist function, the BMW i3 can also implement functions such as HWA highway driving assistance and commanded lane change, which are very similar to the L2 basic functions of the Tesla Model 3.

After the BMW i3 is equipped with the automatic parking assistance system Plus, 4 surround-view cameras and 12 ultrasonic radars can realize automatic parking, 50-meter tracking reversing, and remote viewing of 3D parking images on the mobile phone.

In terms of passenger space, the rear seat space of the BMW i3 is quite generous, and the seat cushion length, backrest angle, leg and head space performance are almost the same as those of the fuel version 3 Series. At the same time, the platform in the rear of the BMW i3 is relatively low, and there is no feeling of sitting on a small bench.

3. The domestic X5 also comes with a wheelbase of 3105mm

The BMW Brilliance X5 is now on the market with a starting price of 605,000 yuan, which is 94,900 yuan cheaper than the previous imported version of the standard wheelbase X5.

The biggest highlight of BMW X5 is the lengthened wheelbase, which reaches 3105mm, which brings more spacious use space for rear passengers.

▲ BMW X5

BMW X5’s entry-level model 30Li is equipped with a 2.0T inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 180kW and a peak torque of 400Nm. The high-end 40Li model is equipped with a 3.0T inline six-cylinder turbocharged engine and a 48V mild-hybrid system, with a maximum power of 245 kW and a maximum torque of 450 Nm.

The two domestically produced X5s also perform better than imported models in terms of fuel economy. The fuel consumption of the 30Li model is 8.9 liters per 100 kilometers under WLTC conditions, and the fuel consumption of the 40Li model is 9.3 liters per 100 kilometers.

In terms of intelligence, the BMW X5 is equipped with dual 12.3-inch displays, which is the current generation of iDrive 7, and has third-party applications and mobile phone mapping systems such as in-vehicle Tmall Genie, Tencent Small Scene, wireless Apple CarPlay, Baidu CarLife, etc.

In addition, the BMW X5 can also be equipped with BMW Autopilot Assist System Pro and Auto Park Assist System Plus to achieve the same assisted driving functions as the i3.

Conclusion: BMW accelerates intelligent layout

At the press conference, BMW unveiled two brand new domestic models, one is the X5 with high positioning and long-term import, and the other is the new pure electric i3 which was launched in the world. At the same time, these two cars have one thing in common, that is, intelligence. Whether it is the cockpit or assisted driving functions, BMW is accelerating its own intelligent layout.

In 2022, the competition in the auto market will be more complicated, the penetration rate of electric vehicles will continue to increase, and the competition of fuel vehicles will intensify… BMW will launch more intelligent vehicles for the Chinese market through stronger product capabilities and smarter vehicles.