BMW has revealed a sporty addition to its i3 electric small car range with a more driver-focused i3s that will join the pure electric i3 and its range-extended version as part of the model’s mid-life update.

The more purposeful-looking and performance-enhanced BMW i3s will make its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month alongside its lightly updated sibling that has been doing the zero-emissions rounds since 2013.

The more potent version of the i3 shares the same battery as its existing sibling, with the extra grunt liberated through a redesigned and optimised drivetrain and motor controller. The control electronics of many EVs and hybrids account for significant losses, and BMW says its new i3s offers a 40 percent improvement in that respect over the non-s i3.

With a more competent chassis, the i3s is also allowed a higher limited top speed and a V-max of 160km/h, compared with the 150km/h limit of the non-s i3.

Among the likes of BMW’s potent M-cars and the i8 high-performance hybrid, the i3 has not previously received much recognition as a driver’s car, but BMW says the new version has a fresh stability system that even allows modest power oversteer or drifting.

The car maker describes the “everyday driving” range (the feasible distance possible when driving in urban areas in 20 degrees and using auxiliary features such as air conditioning) as around 200km for the EV version, or 330km for the range extender.

The standard version also has a new look with the update and it too gets a different front and rear styling, including all-LED headlights and a palette of special colours.

There’s new tech inside as well with the latest iDrive6 version of the infotainment system plugged into a 10.25-inch central screen with Professional navigation, and a higher 1440×540-pixel resolution display.

The new i3s and updated i3 range are expected to share the floor at Frankfurt with the new X7 concept and a significant spread of the company’s latest metal.