BMW Malaysia has announced the official pricing for
the BMW i3s – the all-electric vehicle, which was launched in April at the 2019
Malaysia Autoshow, is priced at RM 278,800 on-the-road without insurance, which
is almost identical to the estimated pricing of RM 279,000 that was suggested
during the introduction.
The i3s, essentially a sportier version of the i3,
is powered by a rear-mounted synchronous electric motor offering 181 hp and 270 Nm of torque. A 42.2 kW, 120 Ah capacity lithium-ion battery –
located on the vehicle floor -provides the car with an operating range of 345
km on the WLTP test cycle, or around 260 km under more realistic daily usage
conditions. Performance figures include a 0-100 km/h time of 6.9 seconds and a
top speed of 160 km/h.
The car is equipped with Type 2 AC and Combined
Charging System (CCS) connector ports, and via the AC route the battery can be
charged from zero to 80% (about 180 km of range) in about 3.1 hours through a
BMW i Wallbox Plus (RM 8,897), which delivers 11 kW of three-phase AC power to
the onboard 11 kW charger.
A three-pin home charging cable comes standard with
the car, but an optional quick charging AC cable can be purchased for RM1,360,
and this will allow drivers to charge the i3s via the ChargEV network of
chargers in the country, which is part of the BMW ChargeNow service offered
under the BMW 360° Electric programme. Depending on the location, ChargEV
chargers have outputs of 3.7 kW, 7.0 kW, or 22 kW.
Design-wise, the i3s gets more aggressive front and
rear bumpers, which are complemented by gloss black accents on the front apron
and grille, compared to the standard i3. It also features a 40 mm wider track.
A number of exterior colour options are available for the car, including Fluid
Black and Capparis White solid shades as well as Mineral Grey metallic, all
with BMW i Blue highlights.
Standard fit in the local specification includes
full LED headlamps and 20-inch BMW i light alloy five-double-spoke (Style 431)
wheels with staggered tyre sizes (175/55 front and 195/50 rear). Performance
enhancement bits for the variant include a dedicated Sport drive mode and
specially-developed springs, dampers and anti-roll bars, and it also sits 10 mm
lower than the standard car.
Inside, the car features an BMW i Interior Design
Suite, and is dressed in Dark Truffle Vernasca leather upholstery and Carum
Spice Grey headliner. Two display screens are to be found – a 5.7-inch TFT-LCD
unit serving as a digital instrument display and a 10.25-inch unit on the
dashboard, which is linked to a BMW Navigation System Professional infotainment
system and iDrive operating system.
Safety kit includes a Driving Assistant Plus
package, which includes a rear-view camera, Park Distance Control (front and rear),
active cruise control with Stop & Go function, Collision and Pedestrian
Warning with City Braking function plus Traffic Jam Assistant in the mix.
