2026 BMW iX3 and i3 Kick Off BMW's Next Stage of EV Transition

• BMW transitions to a dual-platform strategy for its ICE and EV models with the arrival of the i3 sedan and iX3 SUV.

• Unfortunately, the brand is expected to eventually pull the plug on the Z4.

• Look for the Alpina subbrand to eventually battle the likes of Bentley and Mercedes-Maybach.

BMW’s battery-­electric Neue Klasse platform will launch in 2025 and underpin the next-generation iX3 and i3 (no relation to the i3 hatchback of yore), which arrive for the 2026 model year. The two models serve as battery-­powered varieties of the X3 and the 3-­series, respectively, which are also due for redesigns—the X3 late this year and the 3-­series in 2026.

The internal-combustion variants will use the CLAR II platform that currently does double duty, under­pinning the gas-fed 5- and 7-series and the battery-­electric i5 and i7. Expect BMW to carry on this dual-­platform strategy through 2035, with the company eventually adopting an entirely electric lineup.

Some Coupes and Convertibles to Disappear