BMWs third car from the sub-brand i is revealed in the patent images. Expected to sit between the urban hatch i3 and the plug-in hybrid sports cari8. What isn’t sure is, whether the car will be i4 or i5.Given the appearance, it looks to be a five-door hatchback.
The leaked images of the car indicates the suicide doors hinged at the rear, just like in the i3, with a missing B-pillar and centre door-handles. The floating roof and distinctive designs are carried forward, just like the kidney grille and the headlamps, from the previous two cars. It is longer than the i3 and the rear take cues from the i8 but with a taller height and a squared off tail, intended for the aerodynamics as seen in other hybrid vehicles. The bonnet and the front bumper incorporates air vents with the aerodynamically raked windscreen and roofline completing the profile.
BMW has trademarked the i1 to i9 badges for their products, but what’s still unclear is whether this leaked patent would be a hatch i4 or the crossover SUV dubbed the i5. The car may even be complete EV rather than a range-extended hybrid. The car could also be equipped with BMW’s autonomous driving technology. When launched, it will directly rival the Tesla’s Model 3.
No additional information about the cars are revealed yet, nor the launch details of the third i. But BMW will take quick actions now that there’s a decrease in demands of the i3 and i8, and with the announcement of new EQ sub-brand from Mercedes Benz. BMW also intends to launch electric versions of the Mini and the X3.
