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2018 BMW i3 S Prototype Spotted For the First Time

Called LCI, or Life Cycle Impulse, BMW facelifts are traditionally more concerned with the inside than with the outside, meaning that customers of those cars usually get more bang for the buck without an extra layer of flashiness.
2018 BMW i3 S 15 photos
Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype2018 BMW i3 S prototype
This seems to be the case with the mid-cycle refresh programmed for the BMW i3, which was recently spotted by our spy photographers in camouflaged prototype form.

According to unofficial sources, the 2018 BMW i3 will get the “S” suffix, although that wouldn't explain a quote from Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development. Back in 2016, he said that the i3 will be available with different ranges in the long run, which would, in theory, mean that each of those versions would get a different name.

Speaking of ranges, the revamped i3 is expected to receive an even bigger battery pack, or at least a more dense one, which would allegedly increase its total range by about 50 percent over the current model.

Keep in mind that the BMW i3 has already received a battery upgrade that upped its maximum range to 300 km in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) or 114 miles as rated by the EPA in the United States as early as the summer of 2016.

As per the rumors mentioned before, the facelifted model should have a NEDC range of over 400 km and an EPA-rated range of at least 150 miles. That remains to be seen when the model goes official, and until then, all we have are some tittle-tattle and the spyshots in the adjacent photo gallery.

It's not exactly clear if the hemp fiber interior will be restyled or upgraded in a significant manner, but it's pretty obvious that the 2018 BMW i3 will get entirely new front and rear bumpers. The headlights and taillights might also go under the knife, but don't expect too many changes.

The model should be officially unveiled sometime this summer, with sales to commence just a few months later. Pricing should remain similar to the current model.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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