As we had expected, the new all-electric Neue Klasse sedan from BMW will revive the i3 nameplate, but it’ll be unlike the original i3 unveiled way back in 2013. This model, conceived as a direct rival to the Tesla Model 3, will arguably be the most important vehicle in BMW’s new generation of EVs.

BMW has confirmed that it will kick off its long-awaited Neue Klasse era with the second-generation iX3 that’s been already previewed by a concept. After it launches, BMW will follow it up with the new i3. Interestingly, it won’t just be sold as a sedan, but will be available as a Touring estate as well.

Read: BMW i3 Neue Klasse Sedan Spied For The First Time

During a recent interview with Autocar, BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk said that the popularity of the M3 Touring and M5 Touring has proven that there remains demand for vehicles like this.

“I think the ‘touring is making a comeback,” he said. “Of course, we’ve propelled it with the M3 Touring and M5 Touring: they seem to be very popular, even in countries where tourings or estates are traditionally not very [popular]. So yes, there is new wind in that segment, and we’re very happy about that.”

“SUVs are half of our business,” van Hooydonk continued. “The other half are still sporty, elegant sedans or coupés, and obviously we care about that as well. That’s what we’re rooted in, and we are often seen as the benchmark – and for sure we want it to stay that way.”

BMW product boss Bernd Körber added that the German brand will continue to reserve the ‘i’ badge for its EV models, noting it’s an important way to differentiate them from existing ICE offerings.

“Why the ‘i’? Because the i brand started out with more facets to it, but one element with the i3 and i8 was electrification,” he said. “So for us it’s a designator that we use to indicate within the common naming [strategy] that this is an electrified vehicle, with the ‘i’ in front of it. So we kept the ‘i’, put it in front and moved it from a kind of sub-brand to a model brand, and that will be the logic that we will follow from now on.”

The new BMW i3 is expected to include an entry-level, rear-wheel drive model with roughly 300 hp, while all-wheel drive versions will follow later. It’ll also spawn an all-electric version of the beloved M3, previewed earlier this year as the Vision Driving Experience. This model packs four electric motors.

Opening rendering by Josh Byrnes/Carscoops

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