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After showing a glimpse at the BMW Group Annual Conference in Munich in March this year, the i4 has officially come out of the wraps.
As the first fully-electric BMW M car, only a sole i4 M50 model will be offered from launch in early 2022 with a host of new features.
Boasting similar design cues as its 4 Series Gran Coupe sibling, but obviously with tweaked bits to make up for its electric stance, the new BMW i4 is a four-door Gran Coupe that, according to BMW, is the brand’s first purely electric model focused squarely on driving dynamics from the outset.
The i4 M50 boasts two electric motors, one on each axle good for a total system output of 400 kW and 795 Nm. All that amount of grunt enables the i4 M50 to catapult silently from a standstill to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds.
It has a driving range of up to 510 km thanks to the high-voltage 83.9 kWh battery pack. The battery range can be recharged from 10% to 140 km within 10 minutes when using the high-power charging station.
The BMW i4 model in South Africa is supplied complete with the BMW Charging Card, a Flexible Fast Charger for charging at up to 11 kW and a mode 2 charging cable.
The standard chassis technology of the BMW i4 comprises a double-joint spring strut front axle and five-link rear axle with bespoke tuning, lift-related dampers, electromechanical Servotronic steering, an integrated braking system and rear air suspension.
There is a standard integrated heating and cooling system for the interior, high-voltage battery and drive system.
On the outside, the BMW i4 features short overhangs, slim pillars, doors with frameless windows and a sloping roofline. There are slim headlights that can be had with the BMW Laserlight technology as an option. The front is further dominated by a kidney grille that houses a discreetly integrated camera, ultrasonic and radar sensors.
An M Carbon exterior package can be ordered as an option, while model-specific M Performance Parts are included in the Genuine BMW Accessory range.
Inside, the fully-electric BMW i4 is fitted standard with acoustic glazing, pre-heating and pre-conditioning, sport seats and a sports steering wheel. It is further fitted with seat heating and ventilation, Vernasca leather and BMW Individual leather trim variants, Sensatec and leather coverings for the instrument panel, M Sport package Pro, a glass slide/tilt sunroof, ambient lighting and the Harman Kardon Surround Sound System.
The new generation BMW iDrive control/operation makes its debut in the i4. There is the brand’s Curved Display as well as an upgraded BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.
The Curved Display comprises two digital screens; a 12.3-inch information display and a 14.9-inch control display.
The three-zone automatic climate control system fitted as standard in the BMW i4 uses nanofibre filter technology to purify the air inside the car and is now controlled via a touchscreen display.
Boot space is measured at 470 litres to 1 290 litres. There is an electrically extendable and retractable trailer tow hitch as an option with a maximum permissible trailer load of 1 600 kg.
In the safety department, BMW has fitted 40 assistance functions as standard or available as options. These include Active Cruise Control with automatic Speed Limit Assist, route monitoring, and the Steering and Lane Control Assist.
Front-collision warning, Speed Limit Info, Lane Departure Warning, Park Distance Control and the Reversing Assist Camera are fitted as standard. Available as options are Parking Assist with Reversing Assist, and Parking Assist Plus including Surround View and Remote 3D View.
According to BMW SA, the i4 M50 will arrive in Mzansi early in 2022 when pricing will also be announced.
