The 2022 BMW i4 and M50 sports saloons may look quite a lot like their combustion-engine 3 Series equivalents, but the model was based from the outset on a new vehicle architecture created by the Bavarian carmaker to use only electric drive systems.
WORDS TONY WHITNEY, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BMW
The 2022 BMW i4 and M50 sports saloons may look quite a lot like their combustion-engine 3 Series equivalents, but the model was based from the outset on a new vehicle architecture created by the Bavarian carmaker to use only electric drive systems.
WORDS TONY WHITNEY, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BMW
It makes all the sense in the world for BMW to build an electric car related to the near-legendary 3 Series sports saloon range. The 3 Series has built an amazing reputation over the decades and has long been a benchmark for rival makers of responsive, taut-handling premium saloons. Many competitors have even picked up on the number three as a model designation, right down to Tesla with its Model 3 EV.
BMW’s EV experience goes back further than most people realise and history records that an electric 1600 was used at the Munich Olympics in 1972 to lead a field of long-distance runners who would not have appreciated the emissions from a conventional vehicle. This was, of course, a one-off, but BMW continued to experiment with EVs and was more than ready for the demands of the years ahead. Various experimental EVs followed, including the excellent little E1 concept, which we drove in the early 1990s. The E1 never made it to a production line but two standouts did, the compact 2013 i3 and the sports supercar i8 launched the same year. Both these mass produced models were plug-in hybrids, but the future was clear.
The car may be totally new, but styling is very much traditional BMW. To the chagrin of many, especially the enthusiast fraternity, the company has adopted an oversized interpretation of its trademark kidney-shaped grille. This new approach is not helped by the number plate location, but apart from this point, the car is handsome and sporty in a satisfying purposeful manner.
There are two basic i4 variants: an entry-level model that uses a single electric motor and an i4 M50 performance option using two electric motors. Think of the latter as an electric BMW M model – a sports saloon with extra response and more agile handling. In fact, the M50 uses M suspension, steering, braking and even has M light alloy wheels. The base car develops 335-horsepower and drives the rear wheels in conventional fashion. The M50 produces 544-horsepower and features all-wheel drive. According to BMW, the base car has a range of 590-km and the M50, 521-km, but only market experience will confirm these figures. By comparison, a Tesla Model 3 Long Range has a claimed range of 507-km.
Expectedly, the interior features one of the best layouts BMW currently offers with numerous tech updates and the kind of grippy seating demanded by a taut-handling sports saloon. Comfort features include acoustic glazing to cut back on road noise plus pre-heating and air-conditioning. These are practical touring cars too, with a base boot space of 470-litres, expandable to 1,290-litres. Infotainment is taken care of via a curved panoramic touch screen that uses quite an area of dashboard real estate. Apart from electronics, the car has that wonderful BMW ambiance the company has refined over the decades and although this is a state-of-the-art EV, BMW enthusiasts will feel at home behind the wheel as soon as they climb in.
Drivers who miss the sound of a silky smooth twin-cam inline six-cylinder engine under the bonnet of their BMW will be quickly compensated by the car’s near-silent delivery of instantly available full power. Quite apart from the contribution it makes to the environment, the i4 series promises to be as much fun to drive as any other sporty BMW we’ve seen over the past few decades. Watch for more EVs like this from BMW, right across the company’s model ranges.
ENGINE Single or dual (M50) electric motor, rear wheel drive or all-wheel drive (M50), 335/544-horsepower.
TRANSMISSION Direct drive.
ACCELERATION Zero to 100 km/h 5.7-secs (i4); 3.9-secs (M50).
TOP SPEED 250 km/h, limited (i4/M50).
RANGE 590-km/521-km (i4/M50).
I LIKED Outstanding original styling that combines BMW tradition with the latest in EV technology. The M50 is a very worthy replacement for an M-car in almost every way.
I DIDN’T LIKE The oversized BMW kidney grille may be a dealbreaker for some, but most would-be buyers will get used to it in time
MARKET ALTERNATIVES Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2, Audi Q4 e-tron.
WHO DRIVES ONE? Buyers who love cars like the BMW 3 Series, but are reluctant to make a switch to EVs. Customers who want to make the move to an EV but don’t want to give up 3 Series driving characteristics.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY Available now starting at €60.900.