{"id":85323,"date":"2026-04-20T18:06:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T22:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85323"},"modified":"2026-04-20T18:06:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T22:06:04","slug":"bmw-i3-vs-electric-mercedes-c-class-photo-comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85323","title":{"rendered":"BMW i3 vs Electric Mercedes C-Class: Photo Comparison of Two New EV Rivals"},"content":{"rendered":"

The BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class have a storied and long-running rivalry. It continues into the age of electrification with the debut of the electric Mercedes-Benz C-Class and one of BMW\u2019s earliest Neue Klasse models, the i3 sedan. The new C-Class offers a lot of new tech, new takes on the famed \u201cHyperscreen,\u201d and several other notable features. Overall, it\u2019s Mercedes\u2019 most competitive EV yet. But can it really stand up to the mighty electric BMW 3 Series?<\/p>\n

Exterior Design<\/h3>\n

\"I3<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite occupying similar slots in their respective brands\u2019 hierarchies, the BMW i3 and electric C-Class are clearly designed with different customers in mind. The BMW\u2019s sharp lines and pointed edges immediately contrast with the Benz\u2019s rounder surfacing. However, in a departure from past EV designs from the automaker, the Mercedes C-Class EV also looks much more \u201cnormal\u201d than cars from the EQ lineup. In the front, the electric C-Class sports a prominent grille and three-pointed star. Aside from that, the car looks perfectly pedestrian to our eyes. Which isn\u2019t a bad thing considering how some of the brand\u2019s current EVs look.<\/p>\n

In back, the electric Mercedes C-Class inherits lighting clearly inspired by the radical AMG GT XX<\/a>. Early comparisons range from an updated mid-2000s VW Passat (which we think is kind of dead-on) to the Chevy Impala of the same era. We think that\u2019s a bit of undue harshness. It\u2019s a good look and even avoids a lightbar, which would by now instantly date the car. The C-Class EV stretches 5 inches (127 mm) longer than the i3 with a 2.6-inch (66 mm) longer wheelbase. It\u2019s wider, too, but just by 1.1 inches (28 mm). For reference, the BMW i5 is still significantly larger, stretching 199.2 inches (5,060 mm) compared to the Merc\u2019s overall length of 192.2 inches (4,882 mm). Truly, the electric C-Class is a tremendous step forward for the brand\u2019s EV styling. We\u2019re even inclined to call the exterior a tie between the two. Whereas the i3 is much more aggressive, the C-Class EV sort of calls the i4 to mind and we\u2019re okay with that.<\/p>\n

Interior Design<\/h3>\n

\"I3<\/a><\/p>\n

The refreshingly refined exterior design translates well into the cabin. The new electric C-Class offers an almost painfully simplistic interior that\u2019s largely dependent on a truly massive center screen. The MBUX Hyperscreen lives up to its name, offering 39.1 inches (99.3 mm) of touchscreen real estate. The new EV C-Class<\/a> continues to offer ample interior lighting, along with familiar circular air vents that look pretty good flanking the screen. The materials look to be top-notch; Merc claims Nappa Leather and vegan interior bits are available. We\u2019re inclined to call BMW\u2019s Neue Klasse design the better of the two here; although it\u2019s largely, again, a matter of opinion. Benz\u2019s screen-dominated cabin just doesn\u2019t quite do it for us.<\/p>\n

Performance<\/h3>\n

\"I3<\/a><\/p>\n

The electric Mercedes C-Class debuts in C400 4MATIC guise first. It offers 482 horsepower and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm) of torque. Meanwhile, BMW\u2019s dual-motor setup offers 463 horsepower and 475 pound-feet (645 Nm) of torque in i3 xDrive50 guise. The Merc\u2019s added size imply the car\u2019s quoted 3.9-second zero-to-60 time won\u2019t be too far from the i3. After all, the current M340i xDrive scoots to the same speed in 4.1 seconds according to BMW, with just 386 horsepower. Regardless, comparing performance at this early stage is a bit silly. AMG and BMW M versions \u2014 with a lot more power \u2014 will no doubt change the story as both models age.<\/p>\n

Invariably more important to some buyers is range. The car\u2019s 94.5-kWh battery offers an estimated 762 kilometers of WLTP range compared to the i3\u2019s nearly 900 kilometers. A range-optimized model will eventually come to market, although range is still supposedly relegated to around 800 kilometers. Since WLTP and EPA testing is drastically different, there\u2019s not really a way to equate these for U.S. buyers. But right now, the i3 offers a good bit more range than the Merc. The BMW can also charge up to 400 kW charging, whereas the EV C-Class tops out at 330 kW.<\/p>\n

Technology<\/h3>\n

\"I3<\/a><\/p>\n

Mercedes technically offers three different versions of its Hyperscreen. However, the screen appears to be the same size regardless of what you option; only touch-capable real estate and information displayed seems to change. Merc doesn\u2019t have any direct answer to BMW\u2019s panoramic display. Perhaps unexpectedly, however, the EV C-Class offers some unexpected tech edges that could really make the new C quite good to drive. Chiefly, rear-wheel steering and air suspension, two features conspicuously absent from the i3. Aside from that, the two offer similar levels of technology. Voice commands, phone integration, app interactions, and more are all simply standard equipment these days.<\/p>\n

It the EV Mercedes-Benz C-Class the BMW i3 killer Stuttgart needs? We\u2019re not so sure, but we do think this is a huge improvement from the brand\u2019s previous electric offerings. What do you think?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class have a storied and long-running rivalry. It continues into the age of electrification with the debut of the electric Mercedes-Benz C-Class and one of BMW\u2019s earliest Neue Klasse models, the i3 sedan. The new C-Class offers a lot of new tech, new takes on the famed \u201cHyperscreen,\u201d and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":85324,"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-85323","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\/85323","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=85323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/85324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}