It has been a while since we saw the i4 and the iX make their respective debuts. But while they certainly look very distinctive, BMW forced us to wait a bit to hear more information surrounding the duo, but the German luxury carmaker has finally relented and has revealed new details starting with the i4 electric sedan.
i4, An EV In 4-Series Clothing
As the name and the basic exterior styling indicates, the i4 is a BMW 4-Series that does not give too much of its electrified disguise away when viewed at first glance. The i4 is very similar to its gasoline-powered sibling, and that includes the large twin-kidney front grilles. However, these giant grilles are also where a careful observer notices something different with the slats being replaced by textured panels. i4 badges are also scattered throughout the exterior, and some trims even bring blue accent trim to help the sedan broadcast its EV intentions to the world.
The interior of the i4 also doesn’t;t stray too far from the i4, but here the car puts a greater investment into technology with a 12.3-inch information display and a larger 14.9-inch control screen dominating the dash and instrument cluster. The two screens share a frameless bezel, and to the untrained eye, it makes them appear to be one unified unit. The infotainment system uses iDrive 8 with the powerful software allowing the i4 to receive OTA updates and so much more.
Potent EV Performance
Buyers concerned about whether the i4 lost some of its mojo when compared to the gasoline version will be pleased to see that the i4 can still deliver the goods, albeit in a slightly different way. When it eventually comes to the U.S., the i4 will be available in two distinct flavors. The eDrive40 is the rear-wheel-drive version, with that model producing 335 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. BMW claims that this variant can make the sprint to 62 mph in 5.9 seconds with the 83.9 kWh battery still capable of delivering 300 miles of driving range between charges.
Owners looking for more performance will have to step up to the M50. The all-wheel-drive model features an electric motor mounted on each axle, with the combination producing 536 hp. The torque figure is still being withheld at this point, but the 3.9 second 0 to 62 sprint suggests that this veiled figure will be a very stout one when it comes to performance. The M50 uses the same battery pack as the rear-wheel-drive model, but the extra voltage needed to deliver this enhanced vigor does come at a slight price, with the range falling to 245 miles between charges.
Speaking of charging, BMW revealed that the i4 can charge on a Level 2 AC-powered wall unit with an 11 kWh application capable of topping the battery in eight hours. However, DC charging on a 200 kWh fast charger shrinks that time down considerably, with the battery recovering 90 miles of charge in just under 10 minutes.
When Can I Buy A BMW i4?
BMW revealed that the i4 will go on sale in the U.S. during the first half of 2022 when the iX EV utility joins it. Pricing for both i4 models reflects their respective places in the segment, with the i4 eDrive40 starting at $55,400 with the more powerful M50 having a slightly higher $65,900, which comes before any options but does include the $995 destination fee. This pricing ladder allows the i4 to compete head-on with rivals like the Tesla Model S and recent upstarts like the Lucid Air.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.