The BMW i3 failed to impress in the Euro NCAP crash test, scoring only four out of five stars overall, despite being a pretty safe and sturdy-framed machine – it was dragged down by poor chest protection in the event of a lateral crash. Nevertheless, it’s by no means an unsafe vehicle, and did pretty well in all other categories, not only in the realm of safety.
CNET has now had a go aboard the i3, and while reviewer Brian Cooley admitted to being tempted to write it off as a car solely designed to meet CAFE regulations and allow BMW to keep selling its other cars in California, he did find it an ambitious and compelling package in the end.
It remains pretty expensive for what it is, and it doesn’t look to pretty from any other angle aside from a full-frontal, but the doors are clever and seem practical, and the interior is probably the most futuristic one BMW has ever put in a production car.
Check out the video test drive below, and keep in mind that it’s part of the tech site’s automotive news show “On Cars,” so it also contains some extra information you might find interesting; the BMW review is still first, so you won’t have to skip through to see it.
By Andrei Nedelea
VIDEO