BMW i3 Coupe & 3 Series GT: Geneva Motor Show 2013

The new BMW offerings at Geneva are the debut of the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo and the European debut of the BMW i3 Coupe Concept.

There’s nothing at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show from BMW that will set the column inches flowing, but BMW does have a couple of debuts in Switzerland to tickle interest – the 3 Series GT and the i3 Coupe Concept.

The BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo comes under the heading of ‘Why would you build that’ (although, to be fair, we thought the same about the 6 Series Gran Coupe until we reviewed it) when BMW already offers the 3 Series Touring and, if you want something bigger, the 5 Series.

From the front – in the flesh – the 3 Series GT looks BMW decent, but get round the back and it’s just a smaller version of the ungainly 5 Series GT. Inside is also BMW good too and you get a higher driving position, more room for passengers in the back and more load-lugging space than a 3 Series Touring.

Engines and trim are similar to the 3 Series Touring, but the 3 Series GT will cost you a few grand more. Will more buyers be willing to cough up extra money for the extra space – and live with the looks – than BMW has managed with the 5 Series GT? Probably, but we can’t see the 3 Series GT being a big seller.

The other new offering at Geneva is the European debut of the BMW i3 Coupe Concept.

The i3 Coupe Concept is the ‘sporty’ take on BMW’s vision for the future where BMWs run on fresh air and make people smile because they’re kind to planet earth.

So the i3 Coupe is a plug-in EV with a range (with the usual caveat of ‘perfect conditions) of a decent 80-100 miles which, say BMW, is far more than the average driver does in a day.

But if you do have ‘range anxiety’ (and who wouldn’t?) then you will be able to opt for a range extender setup with a small ICE engine providing juice to the battery when it gets too depleted to function. Which all makes sense.

The trouble is, just like every other EV on the market, the i3 and i3 Coupe are still going to cost an arm and a leg in comparison to any other similar-sized cars (even a ‘Premium’ car like BMW). Maybe BMW buyers will grab one for ‘er indoors and not count cost – just relish the (diminishing) cachet of having a green halo?

Time will tell.

By Cars UK