Cross a BMW 4 Series with an iX, and you get this: The new BMW i4, the company’s first fully electric sedan. Technically, BMW considers the i3 a sedan, but who are they kidding? This is a sedan.
The i4 was unveiled today at the BMW Group Annual Conference alongside a whole bunch of other announcements, including the two production versions of the iX. And earlier this week, we got a peek at the new iDrive software that’ll launch in both its new EVs.
This is a relatively predictable-looking four-door with proportions similar to those of BMW’s Gran Coupe offerings. And these days, for BMW, predictable is probably a good thing. Yes, the grille is once again a bit much, though it’s been refinished for the i4 in a somewhat eye-catching way. Now the upper part is totally flat while the bottom section appears to allow some air to pass through.
Personally, I could do with fewer bits of blue trim, but that’s me. After the i3, i8 and now iX, it’s actually a bit weird to see a battery-electric BMW that looks like a normal BMW, but it’s finally happened.
BMW says the i4 will be offered with “up to 530 horsepower” in several versions, including an M Performance one. The company estimates it’ll approach 300-mile EPA range, and hit 62 mph from a standstill “in around 4 seconds.” Release is slated for later this year.
For comparison’s sake, the 3 Series sedan and 4 Series coupe feature two twin-turbocharged engines — either a 255 HP four-cylinder or 382 HP inline six. That’s not including the M3 and M4, which offer either 473 HP or 503 HP, depending on whether you opt for the higher-output Competition models. The i4 — in at least one of its configurations — handily beats all of those in terms of power.
And that’s really all there is to say about the i4 at the moment. BMW promises to reveal more information on the sedan “in the coming weeks,” presumably including interior shots. That’s not very surprising, since it seems the i4 was just sort of shoehorned in BMW’s conference today — it wasn’t originally due to be unveiled until later in the spring or summer.