Impressive appearance

BMW i4: A Bavarian against the Tesla 3 and Porsche Taycan

The BMW i4 has big rivals: the Tesla Model 3 in terms of unit numbers and the Porsche Taycan in terms of sportiness. The first electric saloon from Munich will arrive at Austrian dealerships on February 26, 2022, and "Krone" motoring editor Stephan Schätzl has already had the opportunity to drive the particularly sporty M version on Bavarian roads. His impressions here in the video!

The i4 looks like a 4 Series Gran Coupé - no wonder, because it is essentially a 4 Series Gran Coupé. The length and width (4.78 meters long, 1.85 meters wide) are practically the same as the current 4 Series Coupé, but at 1.45 meters high, the i4 towers over the Coupé by seven centimeters. The underbody comes from its combustion engine counterparts, but was not converted to electric, but was intended for this purpose from the outset. However, despite all the similarities, they are more different than you might think.

Due to the significantly higher weight of the battery, the Munich-based company has designed the entire vehicle to be stronger and stiffer, and the entire rear end is completely different from the combustion 4 Series. This was necessary in order to achieve the performance, road holding and traction that the developers had in mind. The result is impressive.

Power or range?
So is the drive. The BMW i4 M50, the top version of the four-door model, is powered by two synchronous motors that together deliver up to 400 kW/544 hp and 795 Nm, at least in the sportiest driving mode. This enables the 2215 kg all-wheel drive vehicle to sprint to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, with the speed limit set at 225 km/h. The battery in the vehicle floor (net capacity 80.7 kWh) ensures a 34 mm lower center of gravity than a normal BMW 3 Series and a WLTP range of 510 kilometers (In the base model i4 eDrive40, only the rear axle is driven instead of both axles, where a single motor delivers 250 kW/340 hp. The WLTP range here is 590 kilometers).

The motors are practically imperceptible acoustically, even under full load. As an option, sounds created by film music composer Hans Zimmer can be played, depending on the driving mode and driving status.

The driving performance is impressive, at least with the optional 20-inch wheels with mixed tires (255/285) tested here. Adaptive M suspension is standard in the M50. The so-called "actuator-based wheel slip limitation" (introduced with the BMW i3 and further developed since then), which is also used for all-wheel drive for the first time, ensures incredibly fast DSC control and drive force distribution. If desired, the i4 M50 can turn like a weasel. There is still room for improvement in terms of the steering's authentic feel.

New navitainment
The interior is not fundamentally different from its classic brothers, but the details are very different. A curved display combines a 12.3-inch speedometer screen and a 14.9-inch touchscreen into one large screen, there are almost no more control buttons, pretty much everything has been moved to the display, including the climate control. However, the control unit with iDrive controller and the familiar buttons around it remain, as does the volume control below the display. The new BMW Operating System 8 has lost some of its clarity compared to the previous version. In addition, the air conditioning compressor can no longer be switched off, so the air is always conditioned unless the system is switched off completely. However, this function will be added in the summer of 2022 via an over-the-air update.

The M50's battery is charged with a maximum of 205 kW at the fast charging station. At best, it takes 31 minutes for the charge level to rise from 10 to 80 percent. A range of up to 140 kilometers can be charged in ten minutes. With alternating current, the maximum is 11 kW, which means that the battery is completely full again after well over eight hours.

Air suspension as standard
The sophisticated i4 chassis consists of a double-jointed strut front axle and a five-link rear axle with stroke-dependent shock absorbers and rear axle air suspension. The M50 is also equipped with adaptive M suspension, variable sports steering and the M sports brake system.

The overall appearance of the M50 is sportier, and a carbon exterior package is also available as an option. On the other hand, the i4 is also very sensible: the trunk has a capacity of 470 to 1290 liters and with the optional electrically folding trailer coupling, you can tow trailers weighing up to 1600 kg.

The prices: 57,900 euros for the base model, 69,800 euros for the BMW i4 M50.