Sporty BMW i3s joins facelifted i3

BMW has announced that an updated version of its i3 electric city car will join the range next year. Fans can get an early glimpse of the new car at next month's Frankfurt motor show.

Called the i3s, Autocar says the sportier compact EV has a "more powerful synchronous electric motor" that ups the car's power output to 181bhp and 199lb-ft of torque – 13bhp and 15lb-ft more than the standard model.

Power is directed to the rear wheels "via the same fixed ratio gearbox" as the base car, says the magazine, but i3s models come with 20ins wheels instead of the standard 19ins rims that appear on entry-level versions.

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The car has also been given a host of styling tweaks to help distinguish it from the regular i3, such as a more aggressive front end and wider flared wheel arches.

AutoExpress says the i3s has a lower ride height compared to the standard model thanks to its sports suspension. A "Dynamic Traction Control" mode allows drivers to safely slide the car, which is known as drifting.

The i3s is part of a facelift to the i3 range. Car says it will go on sale in November (for the 2018 model year), but potential buyers will be able to see it sooner as BMW will unveil the car to the public at the Frankfurt motor show next month.

Changes to the standard model include a tweaked exterior design, says the magazine, along with four different interior "themes". These themes alter the seats and dashboard trim to give the cabin a more homely feel.

For instance, those who choose a Lodge theme will get dark brown leather and a wooden dashboard that make the interior look like a log cabin.

Prices for the standard model start at £34,070, but CarBuyer says that figure falls to £29,570 thanks to the government's plug-in grant. The i3s costs a little more at £36,975, which the website says drops to £32,475 after the grant.