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BMW i3 94Ah REX 2016 review: snapshot

EXPERT RATING
8.0

Likes

Extended range.
Alien looks.
Carbon-fibre structure.

Dislikes

Charging times.
Having to burn petrol to go further.
Laura Berry

Senior Journalist

2 min read

The $71,900 i3 94Ah with Range Extender sits at the top of the i3 line-up directly above the $65,900 electric-only i3 94Ah.

The i3 94Ah comes standard with a 10.25-inch screen, sat nav, digital radio, rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, automatic parking and 19-inch alloys wheels.

The 94Ah variant also comes with DC charging capability (this is an option on the 60Ah) and that means it can use the faster direct current chargers which will be more common in the future.

The i3 60Ah went on sale in Australia in 2014 and in October 2016 the 94Ah variant arrived with a higher capacity battery that can provide a longer range. The 60Ah variant will eventually be phased out of the line-up.

The 94Ah battery produces 27kWh of usable energy and has a real-world range of 200km. A 125kW/250Nm electric motor is located at the rear axle and drives the back wheels through a single speed automatic transmission.

A 650cc two-cylinder petrol engine powers a generator which produces electricity to top up the battery and will give the i3 an extra 130km off the nine-litre fuel tank for a total range of 230km.

Click here to see more 2016 BMW i3 pricing and spec info.

BMW I3 2016:

Seating 5
Electric motor type Permanent Magnet
Number of motors 1
Battery capacity 22.00 kWh
Energy consumption 13.1 kWh/100km
Electric range 160 km
0-100 km/h 7.3 sec
Battery warranty 8 years / 160,000 km
Price From $18,370 - $23,210
Safety Rating
Laura Berry

Senior Journalist

Laura Berry is a best-selling Australian author and journalist who has been reviewing cars for more than 15 years. Much more of a Hot Wheels girl than a Matchbox one, she grew up in a family that would spend every Friday night sitting on a hill at the Speedway watching sprint cars slide in the mud. The best part of this was being given money to buy stickers. She loved stickers… which then turned into a love of tattoos. Out of boredom, she learnt to drive at 14 on her parents’ bush property in what can only be described as a heavily modified Toyota LandCruiser.   At the age of 17 she was told she couldn’t have a V8 Holden ute by her mother, which led to Laura and her father laying in the driveway for three months building a six-cylinder ute with more horsepower than a V8.   Since then she’s only ever owned V8s, with a Ford Falcon XW and a Holden Monaro CV8 part of her collection over the years. Laura began her career as a journalist in the entertainment industry writing about music for The South China Morning Post; television for tvChoice; fashion and celebrities for The Mirror before combining her passion for cars with her profession and moved into motoring. In 2008 she joined News Custom Publishing as Managing Editor of its motoring titles, including Australia’s Best Cars and the official programs for V8 Supercars, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. In 2011 she joined CarsGuide (for the first time), back when it was part of a newspaper, and learnt to test and review cars. This followed a move to Motor as Production Editor, then Wheels as News Editor while also writing for Street Machine and Top Gear Australia. As the media landscape shifted she left print journalism and joined online motoring publication GoAuto as a senior writer. A brief stint in automotive public relations then followed before she joined CarsGuide in 2015 (for the second time) as Senior Journalist where she remains to this day. A wife and mother, and author of two books, her current daily driver is a chopped 1951 Ford Tudor with a V8, of course. You can find Laura on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram. Expertise Performance and custom cars Family cars and SUVs Education Bachelor of Arts | Macquarie University Featured Publications The Mirror (UK) | 2002-2006 South China Morning Post | 2004-2006 tvChoice (UK) | 2004-2006 TVQuick (UK) | 2004-2006 Mercedes-Benz Magazine | 2005-2006 Australia’s Best Cars | 2008-2010 V8 Supercars Official Program | 2008-2010 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Official Program | 2008-2010 Australian MotoGP Official Program | 2008-2010 Motor | 2012-2013 Street Machine | 2012-2015 Wheels | 2013 Top Gear | 2013-2014 GoAuto | 2014-2015 CarsGuide | 2015-present
About Author
Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication. Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.

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