The BMW i4 is the 100% electric version of the 4 Series. “The i4 brings electrification to the heart of the brand,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design, who emphasizes how “dynamic, clean and elegant the design is. In short: a perfect BMW that is also zero-emission.” “The design of the BMW i4 shows fantastic proportions, a strongly expressive character and, of course, a lot of attention to detail,” adds Domagoj Dukec, Head of BMW Design.
The long wheelbase, fastback roofline and short overhangs give the car an elegant silhouette. We drove the eDrive 40 version in Italy, powered by an electric motor positioned on the rear axle and fed by a battery pack distributed along the floorpan with 83.9 kilowatt-hours (590 kilometers of claimed range). The performance and drivability are true sports car: 340 horses, 430 newtonmeters of torque and a particularly sharp steering. There aren’t many styling details that differentiate the i4 from its heat-engine 4 Series sibling: the vertical double-kidney grille is full, while the blue-colored profiles put the emphasis on its zero-emissions nature. At the rear, the exhaust tips have been replaced by a pronounced diffuser.
The interior echoes the layout inaugurated by the BMW iX. Two large curved and floating displays of 12.3 and 14.9 inches have been installed on the dashboard for the instrumentation and infotainment system respectively. The designers have eliminated as many physical buttons as possible in the pursuit of order and elegance, while the iDrive with its typical wheel cursor remains for system management. The elements of the cabin are oriented towards the driver, who is wrapped in quality materials and soft to the touch, as you would expect from a BMW.
