BMW Group launched their third electric car today in India – It is the i4 sedan, which comes with longest range
After having successfully launched two new electric vehicles (EVs) in India earlier this year with iX and Mini Cooper Electric, BMW Group launched their third fully electric offering in the form of i4. The i4 is the first electric sedan from BMW which made its global debut in June last year. It is priced from Rs 69.9 lakhs ex-sh, and comes in a single variant of BMW i4 eDrive40 Sport.
BMW i4 Unveiled: Exterior Highlights
Based on the same platform as the current 4-Series Gran Coupe, i4 is a fully electric derivative of the 4-door Coupe sedan. Overall design and proportions of i4 remain similar to its IC engine-powered sibling barring subtle variations. It borrows most of the latter’s design elements including the signature tall kidney grille up front.
The only difference is that in i4, the grille is sealed off and with a textured panel. Apart from this, highlights like reprofiled front and rear bumpers, 20-inch M light-alloy wheels for smoother aerodynamics, door handles integrated into the recess and blue accents provide a distinct identity to the electric sedan. At rear, it features Wrap-around taillamps and a shark-fin antenna.
Few other notable exterior highlights borrowed from 4-series Gran Coupe include narrow projector LED headlights integrated with dual LED DRLs, a muscular bonnet, a sloping roofline, frameless doors and a sharp shoulder line along its side profile.
Interior Highlights & Features
Similarities between i4 and 4-Series Gran Coupe continue inside the cabin as well where one is greeted with a sleek, minimalistic dashboard with all of BMW’s up-to-date technologies. The dashboard is dominated by a twin-screen setup with a curved display comprising a 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display. The infotainment unit is laced with BMW’s latest i-Drive 8 user interface.
The new operating system comes with a wide range of digital and customisation capabilities that may be accessed by touch or voice commands. The center console gets a carbon fiber treatment along with blue accents on the gear shifter. Ambient lighting on dash and door trims enhances the in-cabin experience of occupants. Other prominent creature comforts include a glass roof and ventilated seats.
Powertrain Specs & Performance
BMW offers two variants of i4 globally including eDrive40 and M50. The former is offered with a single motor, rear-wheel-drive setup while the latter is available with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration. Both variants feature an 83.9 kWh battery pack. The standard i4 eDrive receives an output of 335 bhp and 430 Nm of peak torque and returns a range of 590km on a single charge.
On the other hand, i4 M50 receives a mammoth 537 bhp and 795 Nm of peak torque. It returns a minimum range of 521 km on a single charge as per WLTP cycle. Performance on both variants is more than impressive, with eDrive40 doing a 0-100 kmph acceleration run in 5.7 seconds while M50 takes a meagre 3.9 seconds to achieve the same.
