The BMW i4 is BMW’s first 100% electric sedan, for now, until the BMW i7 arrives at the end of the year. We tested it thoroughly, and drew conclusions about its competitiveness in the world of electrics.
It is built on the platform that gives life to the 4 Series Gran Coupé and maintains the lines of this grand tourer from head to toe. The version we tested is the eDrive 40, with 340 hp, and rear-wheel drive. But BMW offers a superior version, The BMW i4 M50, with all-wheel drive and 544 hp.
Both versions have a battery with a capacity of 80.7 kWh, which guarantees a range of up to 590 kilometers in the case of the unit we tested in this video, and up to 520 kilometers in the M50, according to approval.
The i4 has no direct rivals, as it is bigger, more powerful and more expensive than, for example, other sedans like the best-selling Tesla Model 3 or the Polestar 2, which has just arrived on the market. But it also offers more complete equipment and superior quality finishes.
This is paid, without a doubt: this e-Drive 40 costs from 61,900 euros.
If we add some extras, like the ones that our unit had, such as the comfort package, the connectivity or the sunroof, among others, the price rises quickly to 75,000 euros. (75,356 euros to be more exact)
It is not an affordable car, it is clear, but it is quite a BMW, with 5th generation eDrive technology, the one that the i3 inaugurated in its day and that has evolved to offer these features in a sedan of its size.
The electric motor in this car is not in a frontal position, but on the rear axle in a transverse position. The batteries are on the floor.
You can charge at terminals with a power of up to 205 kw. This allows enough energy to be charged in 10 minutes to cover 164 kilometers, in theory.
On a 50 kW charger, it took me an hour and a half to charge the battery from 20 to 90 percent. And I’ll tell you the anecdote: I was lucky enough to arrive at the terminal first, because otherwise, I would have had to wait. And it is that with a user charging, many terminals do not accept the high power charge of a second vehicle, or if they do, it is at medium intensity.
Ideally, charge at home. This BMW i4, on a 11 kW three-phase plug and charges its battery from 0 to 100 in 8 and a half hours.
With the battery charged to 100%, the i4 marked a range of 435 kms. Below the theoretical (remember, 590 kms) but it is usual. And I confirm that it is a very accurate figure. I managed to do about 450 kilometers, above what I initially marked.
And it is that the average consumption that marked was excellent: 17.8 kW at 100 kilometers. Driving in Comfort mode (not Eco) and with the air conditioning on.
This shows that the BMW i4 is a perfect saloon for everyday and for short and medium range journeys. It is more efficient than any other version of the 4 Series with a combustion engine and offers the dynamic performance characteristic of the brand’s products.
Like a limpet on the asphalt
BMW has made the i4 with an ideal weight distribution, with the electric motor on the rear axle, part of its auxiliary elements in the front and a very low center of gravity that is obtained with the batteries in the floor.
All this is noticeable… It is noticeable that the batteries lower the center of gravity, the car goes like a limpet caught on the asphalt. It has a lot of traction, directional stability, neutral behavior, controllable at all times. It’s very BMW. Very direct and heavy direction, lots of information.
In spite of everything, it weighs 2,125 kilos, a considerable figure, as is usual in high-performance electric cars:
This eDrive40 version offers 350 hp and 430 Nm of torque, which is applied to the rear wheels through an electronic control system, for example in the differential. It also mounts shock absorbers with a system that prevents rocking and at the same time does not harm ride comfort.
It has good braking. The touch of the brake is linear, both you press, both it brakes. Well done.
And if this is the eDrive40 version, imagine how the M50 should go, with 544 hp and all-wheel drive. An electric racing car that ranks among the best battery-powered sports sedans on the market.
The interesting thing about this car is that, in addition to being very powerful and sporty, it is also very efficient. It features BMW’s most advanced energy recovery system, which charges the battery during deceleration and braking. A system that, as we saw in the i3 a few years ago, allows driving with a single pedal, just by pressing the accelerator, without touching the brake.
As a novelty, it also works adaptively. In other words, the car automatically interprets the signs and the route we are taking, through the browser, to offer more or less retention depending on whether we are approaching a roundabout, if we have cars in front of us or if, on the contrary, we are driving through the motorway, where it will leave the car looser for sailing.
This system that has to read automatically is sometimes a bit annoying, because it reads what you don’t read. Read, for example, that you are approaching the car in front or the roundabout too fast, and brake. … honestly, I am not completely convinced”
It works as a cruise control with braking function that, by the way, the car equips as standard together with the alarm or involuntary lane change assistant, frontal collision warning with brake intervention, parking sensors or the driving camera behind. Everything else, such as the steering and lane guidance assistant, the rear traffic warning or the blind spot alert, among others, is optional.
As a 4 Series Gran Coupe
This i4 measures 4.78 meters long X 1.85 wide X 1.45 high. Seen in profile, its long wheelbase, long hood and short overhangs are clear, which together with the considerable fall of the roof towards the rear They give you that coupe image. A very sporty detail: the doors have frameless windows.
Its large closed grille stands out with the ultrasonic radar and the discreetly hidden proximity radars. It also features a BMWi-specific front apron, plus details like hidden door handles and 17-inch aero wheels as standard. They can be ordered up to 20″ optional.
It is also recognizable by the blue decorative frame at the bottom of the doors. B.
The rear unmistakably derives from the 4 Series. Instead of exhausts, in this electric there is a rear diffuser for a more sporty image.
Familiar and familiar interior
The dashboard has a typical BMW feel, with many horizontal lines, a clear orientation towards the driver, a semi-raised center console and impeccable finishes.
It is identical to that of a Series 4 Gran Coupé, but with two 12.3 screens for the instrument panel and 14.9 inches as protagonists. The same ones that we can see in the IxSe can be controlled by dial, but in the days that I had the car I found myself more comfortable using the touch screen.
The BMW System 8 operating system offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connection.
Rear seats: somewhat fair
In the rear seats there is little space to the ceiling, and a slightly accused angle of the legs, as the ground is very high and the height of the bench remains somewhat short.
The trunk stands out for its large gate, and for having a capacity identical to that of the trunk of the 4 Series Gran Coupé petrol: 470 liters expandable to 1,290 liters, once the backrests of the second row are folded down. It can be done in a 40/20/40 ratio.
This trunk has a hole under the floor, in which the Harmann Kardon team subwoofer has been placed, an option of 1,024 euros.
Therefore, in the i4 you will not find anything lacking that a Series 4 Gran Coupé does not have. Well, yes, the combustion engine, which makes its mechanics simpler, but also more efficient. In terms of equipment and comfort, nothing to envy.
