BMW unveiled a stylish mid-size electric sedan to rival the Tesla Model 3. However, since it is not a complete redesign, it comes with some compromises.
What we liked
Stylish design
Fair driving range
Fast acceleration
shortcoming
Three-year warranty, five-year is the norm
Lack of driving skills from other BMWs
More expensive than the Tesla Model 3
introduce
German automaker BMW is joining a growing number of companies that are lining up to take back some of their business from Tesla.
Last year, sales of Tesla's Model 3 electric vehicles in Australia surpassed the four-to-one sales of BMW's 3 Series gasoline sedans.
It took some time, but BMW is finally offering sedan options for new car buyers who want to embrace the era of electric vehicles — not its experimental i3 hatchback or high-priced i8 supercar.
In order to speed up the entry of BMW electric sedans into the showroom, rather than developing entirely new models from scratch, BMW modified its existing platform for medium-sized petrol vehicles.
The proportions and design are familiar, as the 2022 BMW i4 electric vehicle is based on the BMW 4 Series released in 2020.
While range is fair for the class (i4 eDrive40 up to 520 km long and high-performance i4 M50 up to 465 km), the Tesla Model 3 is the leader of both models in this regard – and offers faster performance and a smaller price tag.
That said, the car is a step in the right direction on BMW's electrified road.
There are initially two models to choose from: the BMW i4 eDrive40 starts at $99,900 plus the on-road fee, and the BMW i4 M50 starts at $124,900 plus the on-road fee. A complete list of specifications for each model can be found here.
The more affordable model offers the longest range for the pair (up to 520 km ideally), but the BMW i4 M50's range is reduced to around 465 km due to its epic acceleration.
While the BMW i4 eDrive40 is no less impressive (from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds makes it faster than most popular hatches), the BMW i4 M50 is faster. The 0 to 100 km/h of 3.9 seconds allows the model to enter the Porsche 911 field without the use of a drop of gasoline.
inside
While the BMW i4 may have a traditional stylish sedan design (it's based on the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe), the interior looks like a concept car.
The cabin features a minimalist design with two large, wide digital displays (12.3 inches for gauge displays and 14.9 inches for infotainment) spanning more than half of the dashboard – involving only buttons, the basic elements of the dial and cabin controls.
The gear selector is a traditional-looking joystick, although it's electronically controlled, with a dial on the center console to help you navigate the infotainment system, which also features a touchscreen and "Hey BMW" voice control.
The size of the door bags was fair to the class, and despite the smooth window lines, the visibility around them was pretty good.
Wide-field rearview mirrors and side blind spot warnings help navigate everyday tasks.
There is a large centre console between the front seats and the covered storage compartment in front of the shift lever.
The rear seats are almost flat, forming a large cargo hold with the trunk.
The rear seat has good knee space, but head space is a bit tight for taller passengers due to the sloping roof line.
Infotainment and connectivity
Widescreen infotainment screens include embedded navigation, Apple Car Play, Android Auto, and digital radio.
Because it's too big, the navigation screen provides more detail than most other maps.
In models with an optional front-facing camera, the display will superimpose an arrow over the real image to ensure you don't miss a turn.
Cordless phone charging is standard, but for large smartphones with bulky cases, the charging pads are not large enough.
The latest version of BMW's infotainment system is more intuitive than before, but it is recommended that you learn how to use it and discover some shortcuts to it before driving it off the showroom floor.
As with many electric vehicles, including Tesla, there is no basic AM radio because the car's electrical system can generate signal interference, and because am is being phased out in Europe, where the car was developed.
Equipping electric vehicles with AM radios is technically feasible, but requires some extra engineering.
As we mentioned before, we consider the standard configuration of AM radios to be a potential safety issue because it is a reliable form of communication in flood and fire emergencies. In areas where there is no telephone signal, AM radios can alert the community to impending dangers and when to flee the affected areas.
Security & Technology
The BMW i4 has all available collision avoidance technologies, including automatic emergency braking at high and low speeds, lane keeping assist, blind spot warning, rear intersection alarms and front and rear sensors.
However, the speed flag recognition system was hit and missed in our preview drive.
The BMW i4 has only six airbags and falls into the standard eight or nine categories.
Most obvious are their absences: rear seat side airbags, central airbags and driver's knee airbags.
That said, without these extra airbags, BMW might already be able to earn a high occupant protection score.
At the time of publication, results from the European and Australian NCAP crash tests had not been obtained. ANCAP has tested the relevant 4 Series Coupe and Convertible models, all of which made five debuts in 2019, but not the 4 Series Gran Coupe or its body-to-body coupe i4.
Worth
Compared to the Tesla Model 3, the BMW i4 series is expensive. In its class, it's at least 50% more expensive than Australia's best-selling electric car.
However, buyers may prefer BMW's better manufacturing quality to Tesla cars, which are known for their paint defects, panel misalignment, and annoying creaks and crunching noises.
The cost of repairing the BMW i4 seems reasonable, although technicians don't need to do much, except to check the windshield wash fluid and brake fluid, as well as monitor the brakes and tires.
Below Standard: A three-year warranty is available when the industry standard is five years or more.
BMW is one of the few companies to stick to a three-year warranty, though Australian consumer law may require most manufacturing defects to be repaired free of charge over five years.
The battery pack is backed by a warranty of at least 8 years/160,000 km.
drive
Both the BMW i4 eDrive40 and the BMW i4 M50 quickly shattered the myth of the slow speed of electric vehicles.
We didn't get a chance to run the number 0 to 100 km/h on our VBox timing device because it was wet during our preview drive.
However, there is no doubt that both cars are very dynamic.
They all accelerate from zero to for example 80 km/h. But with a claim of 3.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h – which is Porsche's speed – the BMW i4 M50 accelerates almost too fast for your brain to catch up.
Not only is it pure acceleration, but also the immediacy of the response once you step on the accelerator pedal.
As with most electric cars, the BMW i4 starts having asthma attacks as soon as you start to exceed the speed limit.
It's clear that these cars are designed and equipped to make the most of everyday driving.
Unlike some electric cars with a sensitive brake pedal feel, the BMW i4 has a more intuitive pedal movement, although it still has the slightest initial bite when it switches from an electric motor to a friction brake.
Steering is direct, uniformly weighted and precise.
However, you will notice that the weight of the BMW i4 battery pack is in a sharp turn. It felt like a bigger and heavier car than its size suggested.
As long as you're extra careful when driving in curves – especially in wet situations – you should be a long way from scaring yourself.
conclusion
First impressions are usually favorable. My main reservation is the price compared to the Tesla Model 3.
While the price range isn't exactly the same, in my opinion, the more expensive BMW iX – a brand new electric SUV – is a better and more complete electric car than the BMW i4.
Given the short driving time and wet weather in our preview, we will reserve the final judgment until we send the BMW i4 into the Drive garage.
Meanwhile, if you're obsessed with a stylish electric sedan that isn't Tesla, the BMW i4 is worth a look.
Be sure to drive it on familiar roads so you can feel the weight of the car.
It weighs close to 2.2 tons, the same weight as the Toyota HiLux and nearly 25% heavier than the Horton Commodore V8.
Other electric cars we've driven recently are better at masking their overweight weight.