The i4 is BMW’s long awaited mainstream entry into the electric vehicle market, and will be the closest thing the brand offers to an all-electric sport sedan—but you already knew that. You’re also probably already aware aware of the two models that are slated to come to the U.S., the i4 eDrive40 and the i4 M50. The two variants slot directly in line with conventional BMW models like the 3 Series and 4 Series Gran Coupé and the i4 M50’s claimed acceleration time of 3.7 seconds means it will also compete, to a certain extent, with the M3.
It also bears mentioning that the i4, and to an even greater extent the iX, represent the latest in terms of BMW’s technological efforts. This was a crown previously held by the 7 Series, which tended to receive all of the new tech first, before it was eventually democratized throughout the lineup down to model lines such as the 5 Series and 3 Series, for example. As one might expect, both of the new purely electric models will be available with the next generation of iDrive, which we’ve all been anticipating since rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz added broad digital displays to almost all of their models.
Exterior design remains an inevitable point of contention, but the i4 is still expected to be the volume seller of the bunch, and if initial orders are any indication, the electric sport sedan is outpacing the iX, and delivery allocations for both variants of the i4 scheduled for next June have been sold out for some time. If you want one, you’ll have to wait until later in the summer to take delivery.
Even with all of that in mind though, if you’re actually looking into acquiring an i4 for yourself or family, there remains lot to be learned about the car that represents the next generation of the BMW brand. In a new ten-minute video, BMW goes through just about everything one needs to know about the i4 eDrive40 and the i4 M50 in terms of the features and amenities a driver will rely on every time they get behind the wheel. The presenter does an excellent job of succinctly conveying what the i4 embodies, some of which you’ll likely want to know when one pulls up at a BMW meet in the near future.—Alex Tock
[Photo and video courtesy BMW AG.]
