{"id":85129,"date":"2026-03-28T04:38:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T08:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85129"},"modified":"2026-03-28T04:38:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T08:38:51","slug":"bmw-reacts-design-complaints-new-i3-sedan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85129","title":{"rendered":"BMW Reacts To Design Complaints About The New i3 Sedan"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"post-summary-wrap\">\n<h3 class=\"post-summary-title\">Article Summary<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"post-summary-list\">\n<li>Oliver Heilmer answers some of the most burning questions about the 2027 BMW i3 Sedan&#8217;s design.<\/li>\n<li>BMW&#8217;s Head of Design for compact and midsize models explains why the windshield projection doesn&#8217;t block the driver&#8217;s view of the road ahead.<\/li>\n<li>Like in the good old days of interior design, the central touchscreen is slightly tilted toward the driver.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>You\u2019re not going to find many videos like this on <em>YouTube<\/em>. Rarely do automakers directly address complaints that inevitably pop up the moment a new car is revealed. BMW isn\u2019t shying away from promptly responding to what the Internet says about the i3 \u201cNA0.\u201d As with nearly all vehicles carrying the famous roundel, there\u2019s plenty of controversy surrounding its design.<\/p>\n<p>In an exclusive one-on-one with <em>BMWBLOG<\/em>, BMW addressed our questions stemming from social media reactions. Previously Head of MINI Design, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2024\/09\/13\/bmw-design-overhaul-missoni-heilmer-leadership\/\">Oliver Heilmer<\/a> is now responsible for all compact and midsize models. In other words, he oversees everything from the 1 Series and X1 up to the 3 Series and X3. Additionally, he\u2019s also in charge of the high-performance M cars.<\/p>\n<p>BMW took the time to thoroughly answer some of the most pressing questions surrounding the i3 sedan. We also learned a few details you won\u2019t find in any press release. For example, the dashboard has been pushed lower compared to the outgoing 3 Series Sedan (G20). That should ease concerns about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2024\/03\/21\/new-idrive-x-and-panoramic-vision-all-you-need-to-know\/\">Panoramic Vision<\/a> potentially obstructing the driver\u2019s view due to its height.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-bmw-i3-photos-31.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-511647 size-medium\" title=\"2026 BMW I3 WORLD DEBUT 14\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-bmw-i3-photos-31-830x554.jpg\" alt=\"2026 BMW I3 PHOTOS interior\" width=\"830\" height=\"554\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-bmw-i3-photos-31-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-bmw-i3-photos-31-1535x1024.jpg 1535w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-bmw-i3-photos-31-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-bmw-i3-photos-31-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-bmw-i3-photos-31-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-bmw-i3-photos-31.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Almost impossible to notice in press shots, the 17.9-inch touchscreen is slightly angled toward the driver. Oliver Heilmer told us the screen\u2019s orientation won\u2019t be carried over to all models. Instead, it\u2019ll depend on the vehicle, and in the case of the 3 Series\/i3, they wanted a sportier ambiance. As a general rule, with the new iDrive X, the driver must reach every corner of the central display. At the same time, the front passenger hasn\u2019t been ignored either.<\/p>\n<p>We also touched on another hot topic: the steering wheel. The i3\u2019s Head of Design said he believes it\u2019s the most ergonomically optimized wheel yet, particularly in its thumb rests. It\u2019s not the only option available for the i3 or iX3, as the M Sport Package unlocks an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/09\/05\/2026-bmw-ix3-new-m-steering-wheel\/\">optional M design<\/a> with a different spoke layout.<\/p>\n<p>Oliver Heilmer also walked us through the exterior design, addressing criticism that the taillights are too bland compared with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2023\/09\/03\/live-photos-of-the-bmw-vision-neue-klasse-from-munich\/\">2023 Vision Neue Klasse concept<\/a>. Additionally, he is confident the front end remains instantly recognizable as a BMW, even if it marks a radical departure from the seventh-generation 3 Series. Interestingly, the design team drew inspiration from sketches dating back to the 1950s and 1960s.<\/p>\n<p>The i3\u2019s design is also highly relevant for the next-generation 3 Series, as the \u201cG50,\u201d debuting later this year, will look almost identical. Some proportions are likely to change, as it will probably feature a longer front section to accommodate combustion engines, including inline-sixes for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/02\/27\/2027-bmw-m350-xdrive-inadvertently-listed-company-website\/\">M350<\/a> and M3.<\/p>\n<p>Wagons will continue into the Neue Klasse era, considering that BMW has already teased a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/03\/18\/bmw-considering-new-3-series-touring-for-us\/\">next-generation 3 Series Touring<\/a>. Whether it will offer both combustion engines and electric drivetrains remains unclear, but another long-roof model is certainly on the way. Expect to see it before the end of next year. Hopefully, it\u2019ll also come to the United States.<\/p>\n<p><iframe type=\"text\/plain\" class=\"cmplazyload\" data-cmp-vendor=\"s30\" data-cmp-purpose=\"c52\" title=\"BMW\u2019s Design Boss Faces the Internet: Top BMW i3 Complaints\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" data-cmp-type=\"text\/plain\" data-cmp-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3W1PPzEk2GA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Article Summary Oliver Heilmer answers some of the most burning questions about the 2027 BMW i3 Sedan&#8217;s design. BMW&#8217;s Head of Design for compact and midsize models explains why the windshield projection doesn&#8217;t block the driver&#8217;s view of the road ahead. Like in the good old days of interior design, the central touchscreen is slightly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":85130,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=85129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/85130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}