Electric BMW 3 Series wagon imagined, showroom version due 2026

BMW has committed to the wagon body style amid the boom in SUV sales – and is set to offer buyers a choice of petrol and electric power over the coming decade.

As previously reported by Drive, the next-generation 3 Series line-up due in 2025 will be split in two: a petrol model based on the same underpinnings as today’s car, and an electric version on a new dedicated electric-car architecture known as Neue Klasse.

Company insiders say both vehicles will spawn wagons in 2026, at the same time as, or shortly after the sedans arrive – and may remain in production until 2034 or 2035, as BMW commits to offering buyers a choice of petrol or electric power while there is still demand for both types.

The Vision Neue Klasse concept unveiled at the Munich motor show last week gives a preview of the design of the electric 3 Series – expected to be badged i3 – as well as, to a lesser extent, its petrol counterpart.

Drive has commissioned digital artist Theottle to illustrate a showroom-ready wagon based on the Vision Neue Klasse concept.

For an illustration of what the sedan could look like, Theo’s earlier renders for Drive – based on the i Vision Dee concept, the precursor to the Vision Neue Klasse shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in January – are below.

According to ‘ynguldyn’, a BimmerPost forum member and reputable BMW insider with a strong track record for insider information, the ‘NA0’ BMW i3 sedan and ‘NA1’ BMW i3 Touring are planned to be produced in Germany and Mexico.

They will not be the first vehicles on BMW’s Neue Klasse platform, which will instead be the successor to the BMW iX3 electric SUV, due in 2025 – planned to be sold alongside the next petrol and diesel BMW X3, in a similar dual-platform strategy to the 3 Series.

The Neue Klasse platform has been designed to support new-generation battery cells inspired by Tesla, and up to four electric motors – one on each wheel – in high-performance M versions.

To read Drive's prior coverage of the Neue Klasse electric range, click the links below.

MORE: Electric BMW 3 Series previewed by Vision Neue Klasse concept
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MORE: 2025 BMW i3 electric sedan imagined