The new BMW i3 not only fills the gap in the luxury sports mid-size pure electric sedan market, but also makes itself invincible in advance with pure electric driving fun, luxury digital cockpit, leading intelligent driving assistance and all-round customer service.
"Hey, who, you write a BMW new i3 comparison shopping guide!" The leader gave me a task. On May 5, today, BMW's first all-electric medium-sized sports sedan, the new BMW i3, was officially rolled off the production line at the Lida plant, the third vehicle plant of the BMW Group's production site in Shenyang, and it is expected that Chinese consumers will soon be able to buy the car.
After so many years of car editing, and is the owner of bmw 3 series and 5 series, this thing is not a clutch? It seems that this week's KPI is done quite easily.
Let's think about its competitors first. The new BMW i3, positioned luxury/sport/smart/pure electric/mid-size sedan...
What？ After thinking about it for half a day, I didn't think about it - Tesla Model 3 should be considered a smart sport, that is, it is not too related to luxury, Pass; Xiaopeng P7? More calculated; Weilai should be able to, domestic electric big guy, there is an ET5, but there is still a gap between brand and control, and it was delivered in September...
I searched in the model library for half a day, and found nothing, is the new BMW i3 really lonely?
This may be the case. At present, the domestic pure electric B-class sedan market can play the products on one hand to count over, if you add luxury, sports and smart labels, can and BMW this century-old luxury brand to break the wrist, indeed no.
Measured by brand, quality, "three electricity" system, control, safety, the new BMW i3 is undoubtedly no competitor in this market segment. In terms of intelligence, BMW's products in previous years had shortcomings, but now whether it is from the specific functions and experience of intelligent cockpit or intelligent auxiliary driving, there is no gap with the new forces of car manufacturing.
Therefore, the new BMW i3 not only fills the gap in the luxury sports mid-size pure electric sedan market, but also makes itself invincible in advance with pure electric driving fun, luxury digital cockpit, leading intelligent driving assistance and all-round customer service.
Intelligent driving is industry-leading and the system is more reliable
When it comes to intelligent driving, some consumers may have a preconceived concept that intelligent driving assistance is the weakness of traditional car brands, but here is a note: except for BMW.
In fact, BMW is not only in the BBA, but even in all traditional car brands, it is a very active one that promotes the assisted driving function. As early as four years ago, the author experienced BMW's autopilot assistance system on the new 5 Series at that time, and it did not lose the performance of the L2 level driving assistance function installed in most electric vehicles. It's just that BMW's strategy is not as radical as the new car-making forces.
After entering the era of full electrification and intelligence, BMW is the first domestic pure electric SAV iX3 equipped with the automatic driving assistance system Pro as standard, and the overall functional coverage and actual experience are well received by car owners. Today, the system is even more perfectly presented on the new BMW i3.
The new BMW i3 uses a three-way sight camera, 5 millimeter wave radar, a driving status detection camera, as well as 4 surround view cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors at the hardware level, the deep learning computing power of the Mobileye EyeQ4 chip is 2 TOPS, although the computing power is not the top in the industry, but in the implementation of functions, BMW is not lagging behind. In terms of safety records, BMW's performance is even better. In contrast, Tesla's driving assistance is as well known as its accident rate.
The new BMW i3 offers active cruise control systems including lane change assist and traffic congestion assist, as well as collision prevention systems including forward collision warning, emergency brake assist, and lane correction functions. And these functions have been fully "Chineseized" to adapt to the car habits and travel environment of domestic users.
Of particular note is the stability and reliability of the Autonomous Driving Assistance System Pro in actual use. This system is one of the few auxiliary driving in China that allows drivers to free their hands under certain conditions, and when the speed is lower than 60km/h, the traffic congestion assistance is turned on, the driver can release his hands and feet, and the acceleration and deceleration are completely controlled by the vehicle itself. In addition, the driver can automatically change lanes by turning the turn signal. And the driver only needs to touch the capacitive steering wheel to keep the driver assistance function on, which is very easy to use.
In addition, the vehicle offers the Automatic Park Assist System Plus, which includes a 50-meter trail reversing function to maximize parking convenience.
Digital cockpits create an exclusive experience
In addition to the industry-leading level of intelligent assisted driving, the luxury intelligent digital cockpit of the new BMW i3 is also leading the industry trend.
The interior of the new BMW i3 adopts the BMW one-piece floating curved screen and the new iDrive operating system 8.0, which is composed of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch touch display. The new BMW iDrive operating system 8.0 provides the texture of future technology pictures and rich light and shadow effects, in addition to luxury, it also fills the entire cockpit with a technological atmosphere. The cockpit atmosphere of tesla and "Wei Xiaoli" and other new car-making forces is more than a sense of technology, and the sense of luxury is insufficient.
The layout of the core functions of the new BMW i3 cockpit is also more exquisite, the "function island" design concept greatly reduces the physical buttons, and the traditional gear is equipped with a small lever, which is the exquisite in the simplicity, which is what the smart electric vehicle should look like.
If the time goes back a few years, at the functional level of the car machine system, the new car-making forces and some independent brand products are ahead of the traditional joint venture brands and luxury brands. Because their response to the actual needs of domestic users and changes in daily use habits is more timely.
But BMW has long realized this, with the continuous deepening of localization research and development, since BMW iDrive 7.0, BMW has begun to make a breakthrough in functional expansion, launching QQ music in line with domestic car habits, Himalayas and Tmall genie voice assistants and so on.
In order to meet the increasingly high requirements of domestic users for intelligence, BMW Group has in-depth cooperation with Internet companies in China to make the car system have a more comprehensive, more practical and faster function expansion, and Tencent Mini Scene (various mini programs developed by Tencent) does not need to be downloaded, and is click-to-use, even if the OTA update is almost insensitive.
In particular, WeChat, which domestic users can't do without for a moment, can now also log in through Tencent's small scene. The car version of WeChat will pop up the window to remind the new message notification, the driver can broadcast the new message and reply through the voice system, the whole process does not need to be moved, does not affect the driving safety.
Of course, the new BMW i3 is also equipped with BMW's iconic wireless Apple CarPlay, and users who like the iPhone ecosystem can switch at any time.
The original sports control, electric driving fun is unmatched
After making up for the shortcomings in intelligence, the new BMW i3 is basically unbeatable in terms of the traditional values of safety, handling and driving pleasure.
It is rumored that the Tesla Model 3 is designed for the full benchmark BMW 3 Series at the chassis and control level, but now the main owner is coming. The new BMW i3, which eliminates the engine and gearbox and is fully electrocuted, is still a BMW focused on driving pleasure. But few agree that Tesla's handling can reach BMW's level.
First of all, in terms of hard power, the eDrive electric drive system equipped with the new BMW i3 has developed to the fifth generation, and the integration and efficiency of the entire system are even better. The maximum power of the rear-excitation synchronous motor without the need for permanent magnets is 210kW and the maximum torque is 400N·m, which not only continues the BMW after-drive tradition, but also reaches the highest level of the domestic 3 series, and it takes only 6.2 seconds to break the 100.
In addition, due to the power battery tiled on the chassis, the new BMW i3 has a lower center of gravity than the ordinary 3 Series, coupled with a wider front and rear wheel track, as well as HRS hydraulic rebound shock absorption technology and rear air suspension, which provides full protection for its dynamic performance and extreme cornering ability.
In the software section, the new BMW i3 not only continues to be the best in terms of traditional driving pleasure, but also comes standard with DSC dynamic stability system and ARB anti-slip stability control unit, but also optimizes the driving experience for electric vehicles. The new "B-stop" drive mode increases the intensity of energy recovery, enabling driving similar to the "single pedal" mode, reducing the burden on the braking system while increasing the cruising range.
Avant-garde design leads the way
Whether it is compared with the new car-making forces or other traditional car companies, BMW's product design capabilities are the least worrying, after all, no one will refuse a BMW with a double kidney grille. The double kidney grille and angel eyes are so deeply rooted in people's hearts that they are unforgettable. BMW's unique recognition in the design field is almost unattainable, and the new car-making forces are the hardest hit areas of design homogenization, so that in the face of Xiaopeng and Tesla, many users are stupid and confused.
Although the appearance of the new BMW i3 has some of the flavor of the current long-axis 3 Series, the styles of the two cars are very different.
The new BMW i3 has a larger double kidney grille on the front face, with a fully enclosed grille with obvious electrification features, and a blue edge embellishment like the BMW iX3. Inside the headlights are new "L-shaped" LED daytime running lights, which help improve recognizability. In addition, the new front and rear bracketing styles have a stronger sense of movement, especially the air intake shape on both sides is particularly sharp.
The lower lines of the body side are redesigned and perfectly integrated with the new style of "shark cheek" deflector to form a smooth "L" shaped three-dimensional waist line, which has a feeling of being completed in one go. The style of the 19-inch aerodynamic rim is also special enough.
In addition, the new BMW i3 is equipped with a "Angel Wings" welcome light blanket, which takes the luxurious atmosphere at night to another level.
Full-service thoughtful
Finally, as a world-class luxury car brand with a century-old history and deep roots in the Chinese market for decades, BMW is unmatched by the new brand in terms of sales and service channels, after-sales support capabilities and supporting services for electrification.
At present, the hot "Wei Xiaoli" either adopts the direct sales model or adopts direct sales + distribution, but no matter what model, the coverage of sales and after-sales service channels, disposable service resources and service capabilities developed by the new forces in the past few years are obvious compared with the service system established by BMW in the Chinese market for decades.
In addition to the 8-year or 160,000-kilometer warranty for high-voltage batteries, 8-year or 120,000-kilometer warranties for electric motors and control units, lifetime accident rescue services, 3-year connected driving services and 10-year connected driving basic services, as well as roadside assistance, vehicle health checks, and proactive customer support services. At the same time, customers will also enjoy 8 years 7× 24 hours free roadside assistance, free towing to the nearest charging station when the power battery is about to run out or has been exhausted. The BMW Customer Service and Support team has simultaneously launched the exclusive new BMW i3 "Worry-Free" service package to create a more convenient car experience.
In addition, consumers can also apply at the dealer to install a free BMW charging wall box. For customers who do not have the conditions for private charging installation, they can choose to open charging card services in some cities.
By the end of February 2022, BMW Instant Charging has dynamically linked more than 380,000 public charging piles, including more than 200,000 DC fast charging piles, and about 50,000 charging piles nationwide can provide plug-and-play charging services. Users can directly enter the instant charging mini program through the My BMW application to find, use and pay for the charging pile.
At the same time, for business travelers and users who like to travel, BMW reservation parking charging service has covered 4 airports in 9 major cities in the country and more than 10 popular business districts across the country, and users can also make exclusive parking charging appointment services through the My BMW application.
Summary: There is no doubt that among the global luxury car brands, BMW is at the forefront of electrification and intelligence, the most aggressive strategy and the most significant brand. The new BMW i3 will further cement BMW's lead.
The powerful performance of the new BMW i3 combines performance with a comfortable chassis structure, making it a control benchmark in the era of electrification; the digital intelligent cockpit leads the industry trend in both functional design and application ecology; BMW Autonomous Driving Assistance System Pro makes the vehicle's driving experience and safety reach a higher level; coupled with cutting-edge exclusive design and exclusive market segmentation, the above factors are enough to make it firmly based on the luxury pure electric market.