What is it?
This is it, then. The first-ever electric-powered BMW M model. Given the outstanding pedigree of the German firm’s performance-oriented combustion models down the years, much is riding on the i4 M50.
Based on the upcoming second-generation BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, alongside which it is produced in Munich, the powerful new four-door saloon joins the BMW i3, BMW iX3 and recently-introduced BMW iX in what will become a 12-strong line-up of electric models under BMW’s i sub-brand by the end of 2023.
The £63,905 M50 is one of two initial i4 models planned for sale in the UK from November. Along with the milder, £53,405 rear-wheel- drive eDrive40, it will challenge the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S, as well as the upcoming Audi A6 E-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQE, for four-door electric car supremacy. Like the new iX, the i4 is based on an adapted version of BMW’s CLAR platform. It has been heavily modified to accommodate an electric powertrain, which includes a large battery bolted to the floorpan. This acts as a structural element, providing the body with added stiffness and helping to maintain a 50:50 weight balance.
In its styling, the i4 is close to the look of the concept revealed early last year, with traditional cab-backward proportions and only detailed changes setting it apart from the 4 Series Gran Coupé. These include a blanked-off grille housing ultrasonic and radar sensors, a uniquely styled front bumper with minimal air ducting and thin LED headlights that form a tapered effect within a bold-looking front end.
Further back, there are new touch-sensitive door grabs, aerodynamically optimised wheels ranging from a standard 17in diameter on the eDrive40 to an optional 20in on the M50, a unique rear bumper housing an i4-specific diffuser and, for the range-topping M model, a subtle rear spoiler lip. Dimensionally, the i4 is 76mm longer, 25mm wider and 6mm taller than the current 3 Series saloon, at 4785mm, 1852mm and 1448mm respectively, with a 4mm-longer wheelbase of 2856mm.
Inside, a free-standing curved display houses 12.3in and 14.9in digital screens for the instruments and infotainment system atop a lightly modified dashboard from the 4 Series Gran Coupé. It is all controlled via a new eighth- generation iDrive system, which supports a new ‘Hey BMW’ voice activation function as well as new customisable features. There is also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring and a new over-the-air function that can update software via an embedded 4G SIM card. The air-con controls, meanwhile, are easily accessible via the infotainment system.
The rest is more typical M-car fare. There’s a thick-rim leather-bound multi-function steering wheel; the driving position is not quite as low as we’re used to on more sporting BMW models, but the standard front sports seats provide plenty of support and electronic adjustability; and a broad centre tunnel running through the interior forms the basis of a control panel that features a rather conventional gearlever in place of the slider mechanism used by the iX along with driving mode controls and a rotary controller for the iDrive system.
Accommodation up front is quite good, although it’s compromised in the rear by a raised floor, required for the packaging of the battery, and a sloping roof line that robs head room. Boot space, meanwhile, is put at 470 litres, extending to 1290 litres when the split folding rear seats are stowed. Unlike a Taycan, there is no provision for luggage storage under the bonnet.
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