BMW has revealed a luxurious two-seat reworking of its BMW i3 electric hatchback ahead of a public debut at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Called the i3 Urban Suite, the reconfigured EV is said to offer “a mobility experience tailored entirely to the passenger’s individual needs”, while proving that “luxury travel in the future will have nothing to do with vehicle size”.
Inside, there is seating for a driver and a rear passenger. The rear bench has been removed to make way for a single armchair-style seat and wooden desk arrangement, complete with lamp and storage tray.
In place of the original front passenger seat, there is a curved, floating-style footrest, with further luxury-oriented upgrades including a flip-down screen and a personal ‘sound zone’. The dashboard and driver’s seat are unchanged from the standard model.
The materials used in the construction of the new interior are eco-friendly, in line with BMW’s "commitment to sustainable mobility". The floor mats, for example, are made from recyclable materials and are themselves fully recyclable.
BMW said: “The aim was to create an inviting space with a high feelgood factor in which to spend time – the perfect place for relaxing, enjoying in-car entertainment or focusing on work in a laid-back setting.”
During the CES show, a fleet of i3 Urban Suites will be used as chauffeur-driven shuttles around Las Vegas. They can be booked via a bespoke smartphone app. There are no confirmed plans to put the model into series production, though.
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Celebrity Shuttle Car?
It's cool,and no, I'm not saying because I own a BMW, no it's just an observation on what it could be seen doing, transporting celebs to premiers for instance.
Interesting
I thought this was a strange concept initially, but then realised this could be a modern alternative to the chauffeur driven S-Class or similar. Bespoke luxury for the passenger, chauffeur can charge it while the passenger is in his business meeting etc. S class sized limos for single occupants being chauffeured around is inefficient, of fuel and of urban road space, and slowly becoming a bad look for business directors/CEOs etc.
What every EV buyer wants
an armchair, desk and table lamp for their chariot, BMW - the ultimate driving my my a***
Good.
It's about time that a car company started to get serious about severing the lazy-minded connection between luxury and size.
One of the great luxuries available to those who can afford it is genuine customisabilty
It consists in not just hand-stitched leather and a different coloured dashboard trim, but internal configuration and layout and the like. Why should this and other luxuries, however much to your personal distaste and however easy to ridicule by the motoring purists, be the exclusive preserve of those people who want to drive or be driven round in a land-yacht the size of primary school?
Good for BMW for acknowledging that cars need to change in ways that aren't always just about mobility. The ultimate driving machine isn't for everyone, and outside one or two very specialist minuscule-scale manufacturers, no company seriously aspires to it anymore, because the wotld's changed since it was a viable commercial objective.
Pierre wrote:
Luxury small vehicles are not a new concept - honest.. Try googling Riley Elf..
Citytiger wrote:
Would work great in China, where leg space/chauffeurs are more important. Good design for ride-hailing in comfort, too.