![BMW's i3 makes you feel good by what it doesn't do.](/content/dam/images/g/o/i/5/m/f/image.related.afrArticleLead.620x350.gu1tsw.png/1485846970232.jpg)
Cars can make you feel good in a variety of different ways.
Some make you feel good by the way they look. Others by the way they sound, the way they take corners, or the way they accelerate.
BMW's i3 makes you feel good by what it doesn't do.
It doesn't use any petrol, for a start (well, most of the time).
It doesn't produce any carbon emissions (again, most of the time). And it doesn't make any sound. And because of all that, it doesn't have any noticeable impact on our fragile environment.
Yet it's quietly changing the way a number of Australians think about their private transportation.
The electric i3 is now three years on the market - and recently underwent a facelift that delivered a number of improvements.
Key among those is a boost in the distance it can travel between battery recharges. Which also boosts the amount you can enjoy those features listed above.
BMW boasts that it now has 100,000 electric-powered vehicles on the road globally - including 60,000 i3s and about 10,000 of its larger, futuristic- looking i8 sports cars.
The remainder fall under the Bavarian brand's range of so-called "i-performance" machines - effectively hybrid models with plug-in charging capacity that can run largely on electric power during the week and revert to conventional petrol power when the journeys are longer.
BMW is promising more plug-in models plus pure electric Minis and BMW X3 models over the next couple of years.
That suggests that BMW still has a foot in either camp when it comes to their preferred technology for the longer term. And you can't blame them for that.
In the meantime, though, the use of "range extender" engines as a backup to pure electric power is a useful and credible stopgap. And in that context, this updated i3 represents a substantial leap forward.
Thanks to a co-operative effort between BMW and Samsung, battery capacity has been greatly expanded to allow the i3 to travel more than 200km on a full charge. If you choose the optional range-extender generator engine (a $6000 option) you can stretch your combined range to almost 350km, which is as far as most families would be likely to travel in one hit.
The car can then be recharged in one of three ways - at home using BMW's recommended I Wallbox (delivering 80 per cent charge in eight hours); at a dedicated recharging station (80 per cent charge in four hours) or via a conventional home powerpoint (80 per cent charged in 14 hours).
How does the cost compare? Well, it's estimated that electric vehicles cost about 4.5 cents per kilometre to run (versus about $15 cents/km for a typical petrol vehicle) - based on an electricity cost of 35 cents per kilowatt hour. That means a full 200km charge will add about $10 to your electricity bill.
The new model is, rather unromantically, called the i3 94Ah (representing 94 Ampere-hours) - and our test machine came with the option of an additional range extender generator engine.
That means a premium price of $71,900 plus onroads - with i3 prices starting at $63,900 for the entry-level model.
It was one of the more interesting road tests we've done recently.
It's different, unquestionably - but deliberately so as BMW has sought to give it substantial points of difference from its conventional models.
The design, while not exactly pretty, is deceptive.
At first glance it looks tiny - not quite Smart car-like, but you'd swear it's got the dimensions of the smallest city cars. Yet put it beside one of those little hatchbacks and the Beemer is taller and wider than you might imagine.
Those compact exterior dimensions conceal a surprisingly spacious interior. Not having a transmission tunnel - or an engine, for that matter - means the designers have been able to utilise very available bit of space inside - it's really quite Tardis-like with its expanses of glass and generous space for shoulders and legs.
It easily accommodates two six-footers front and back with oodles of headroom.
The unusual "suicide" doors at the rear - so called because they hinge at the back and open from the front - provide wide open access to the two rear seats.
One caveat, though - you have to have the front doors mostly open before the rear doors can be swung out - meaning it's not ideal in tight garage spaces.
Still, it's a novel approach and in keeping with the car's avant-garde feel.
There's 260 litres of cargo space in the rear - 1100 with the rear seats folded down - plus another handy 35L beneath the front bonnet if needed.
The cockpit design is also a distinct departure from convention - more bitsy than the cohesive look typical of this brand - and using weight-saving and environmentally-friendly materials not found elsewhere in the BMW range.
Seat trims include recycled polyester and 40 per cent pure wool; sustainable eucalyptus is used on feature panels all aluminium used in the car's construction is recycled.
It's a fun thing to drive - although not necessarily in the typical BWM style.
Acceleration is surprising, thanks to 250Nm of torque and 125 kilowatts - which is instantly available because of the electric propulsion setup. It whizzes to the speed limit in just over seven seconds and has heaps of overtaking zip as well.
Its handling is competent but not up to the razor-sharp standard we've come to expect from Bavarian machines. Turned sharply into corners it feels prone to understeer - a trait magnified by the very skinny rubber on the i3 - necessary to reduce rolling resistance as part of its energy-saving mission.
It is a breeze to park with its tight 9.8m turning circle.
Ride is generally good but occasionally a little choppy over rough or undulating surfaces - again a product of its tallish design and short wheelbase.
There are three driving modes - but no Sport mode we've come to expect from BMWs. In standard Comfort mode the driver has access to the car's full performance potential - but switch to Eco Pro and power output is restricted and some cabin functions, such as climate control, are restricted.
In full Eco Pro Plus mode, all ancillary services are disabled and performance even further dialled back (maximum speed 90km/h) to squeeze every available bit of charge from the batteries.
Our week in the i3 ended up with almost 300km covered - one overnight recharge from the standard electric plug in our garage - and we handed it back with about 55km charge still remaining. Best of all, not a drop out of the petrol tank.
You have to feel good about that.
BMW i3 94Ah RANGE EXTENDER
HOW BIG? Its short, nimble design makes it the ideal city car - yet all four occupants get more than enough room in its airy, glassy cabin. It's a breeze to park, too.
HOW FAST? It will burn off most rivals away from the lights, thanks to the instantly-available thrust of its electric motors. Top speed is limited to 150km/h.
HOW THIRSTY? Thirsty? Well, not at all unless you exceed the 200km limit of its batteries. We averaged 0L/100km during our week-long test - honestly.
HOW MUCH? It's not cheap considering its size - with even the cheapest i3 costing more than $60-grand. Still, it's well equipped - and think of all the money you'll save on petrol.
AAP