BMW planning to stretch i3 into i5 family hauler?
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hybrids/" rel="tag">Hybrid</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/electric/" rel="tag">Electric</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2014-bmw-i3-debuts/#photo-139870"><img alt="2014 BMW i3" data-credit="BMW" data-mep="38352" src="http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/adam/bce9cdf5e65cf30dbeb48793b 1676359/2014-bmw-i3.jpg" /></a><br />
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If you're sweet on the new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/i3/">BMW i3</a> but wish it had more space to carry people and stuff, we've got good news for you. <a href="http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/bmw-i3-spawn-new-family-****>According to <em>Autocar</em></a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/">BMW</a> is planning on stretching the platform that underpins the i3 to create a new model, expected to be called i5.<br />
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The stretch job would add an extra four inches of legroom in the back and another six inches of rear overhang to the benefit of cargo space. The result would create a vehicle longer than the current <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/mini/countryman">Mini Countryman</a> - although the next Countryman is likely to be <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/11/25/bigger-mini-countryman/">even larger</a>. As <em>Autocar</em> points out, the process of extending the i3's composte passenger cell likely wouldn't be as difficult or cost-intensive as lengthening a conventional metal chassis, although the rear doors would need to be re-engineered.<br />
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Whether the resulting vehicle would more closely resemble a hatchback, wagon, minivan or something in between remains to be seen, however BMW is said to have already registered the nameplates i1 through i8, signalling that the possibility is at least there to add more members to its new EV family.<p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/11/30/bmw-i3-stretch-into-i5/">BMW planning to stretch i3 into i5 family hauler?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Sat, 30 Nov 2013 17:01:00 EST. Please see our <a href="/rss-term-of-use/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/11/30/bmw-i3-stretch-into-i5/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20776427/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/11/30/bmw-i3-stretch-into-i5/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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