Last updated on January 19th, 2022 at 03:35 pm
Exterior Design
BMW has not made any tremendously radical departures for the exterior look of the i4. This still looks like a BMW, with the signature kidney grille, although it’s clearly not intended to allow airflow over a radiator. In fact, it hosts sensors including radar for the ADAS. While we understand that the kidney grille is part of the BMW branding, its increasing size is more questionable. This iteration isn’t as divisive as the one on the iX SUV, which is reminiscent of beaver teeth. But if you look at the more subtle implementations on the i3 and i8, the size on the i4 still seems excessive.
Otherwise, BMW has kept the i4’s appearance very much in line with the most recent fossil fuel-powered 4-series gran coupe. It’s about 9cm longer than a Tesla Model 3, but unlike the latter is actually a hatchback, although you won’t be able to tell until you open the boot. BMW signals the electric nature of the i4 with some subtle stylistic additions like the blue flash under the doors that is supposed to represent where the battery is. The door handles are also flush with the doors.
Overall, if you like current BMW styling, including the massive kidney grille, you’ll like the way the i4 looks. For those who don’t want their EV to scream difference as Teslas and VW ID. cars do, for example, it’s an attractive exterior appearance. Yet the i4 is still surprisingly aerodynamic, with a Cd airflow value of 0.24, which is only slightly higher than the Tesla Model 3’s incredible 0.23.
Interior Comfort
The interior is another reason why lovers of German cars are so enamoured. This is also likely to be a major reason why purchases choose the i4 over a Tesla. While BMW has simplified the controls and media displays with its new EVs (of which more in a later section), otherwise the interior has the same sense of luxury and quality as non-electric BMWs.
The M50 we drove had supremely comfortable black Vernasca leather seats with blue stitching, which is standard on this car but a £1,500 option on the Sport and £1,300 on the M Sport. Otherwise, the Sport has artificial Sensatec and cloth, and the M Sport Alcantara with Sensatec. It’s possible to choose different interior trims to go with the seat coverings, for an individual combination, although some of these options cost £500 extra.
There is a cubby under the central armrest, a couple of cupholders the other side of the gearstick, and in front of that a space for a smartphone wireless charging pad. This is standard on the M50 but part of the £1,900 Tech pack for the xDrive40. You can add an electric glass sunroof for £1,050, which isn’t standard on any of the trim levels, and wasn’t included on our car.
Rear passenger space is decent if not up with some of the electric SUVs we have reviewed. The two outer seats are very comfortable and have adequate legroom for tall adults, although the headroom is curtailed by the sloping rear glass. The central seat is reasonably wide but raised so not as comfortable as it could be. It also has a hump in the floor in front of it – a bit inexplicable as there is no driveshaft to accommodate here. If you don’t have a middle rear passenger you can pull down the seat back to make an armrest with integrated cupholders, although these are underneath twin flaps that add quite a bit of bulk when open.
The two outer seats have ISOfix points integrated for child restraints. Rear passengers also benefit from their own vents and temperature control for the air conditioning, as this is tri-zone on all trim levels. There are also twin USB C ports for rear passengers to charge their devices.
Storage and Load Carrying
Although the i4 looks like a four-door saloon, it’s actually a hatchback. BMW has performed similar magic as the Polestar 2 by making a car that hides the fact it has a proper hatch on the rear, and this makes load carrying more practical. All versions of the i4 have a powered boot release as well. The basic capacity is a decent 470 litres, which is more than a Tesla Model 3 or Polestar 2.
BMW has also added flexibility by giving the rear seats a 40/20/40 split, so you can drop down the middle section on its own for longer items and still have two rear passengers. If you drop all three rear sections forward, however, you get a very decent 1,290 litres, which is not far off an estate car and more than the Tesla Model 3 or Polestar 2. The i4 can also tow 750kg unbraked and 1,600kg braked. The towbar is a £1,000 optional extra.
The i4 doesn’t have a frunk, and the space under the boot floor is smaller too, taken up mostly by the subwoofer in the M50, with just enough room for a charging cable. But it’s still an extremely practical car for load lugging. There is even a handy shopping bag hook and 12V car power supply in the boot.
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