BMW India has unveiled the India-spec i4 electric sedan ahead of its launch on May 26, 2022. The i4 will be the BMW Group’s third all-electric car in India, after the flagship iX SUV and the Mini Cooper SE hatchback.
India-spec BMW i4: platform and design
Unlike the BMW iX which is a born EV, the i4 isn’t a grounds-up EV. It is based on a specially adapted version of the 3 Series’ CLAR architecture and is essentially an all-electric version of the 4 Series Gran Coupe.
Few EV specific design touches include the blanked-off front grille like most EVs, aero-optimised wheels, blue accents, flush door handles and tweaked front and rear bumpers.
India-spec BMW i4: interior and features
The i4 doesn’t get a flat floor and free centre console area like we have seen on the BMW iX. Still, the highlight of the interior is the curved twin-screen set-up consisting of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The system runs BMW’s latest iDrive 8 user interface and even supports over-the-air updates.
India-spec BMW i4: variants, powertrain and battery
The new BMW i4 in India is expected to be sold in two variants – eDrive40 shown today and the more powerful M50 xDrive. The i4 eDrive 40 gets a rear axle-mounted electric motor that produces 340hp and 430Nm, and BMW claims a 0-100kph sprint in 5.7 seconds. The i4 M50 xDrive, meanwhile, gets all-wheel drive, produces 544hp and 795Nm, and can sprint from 0-100kph in 3.9 seconds.
Both variants use a floor-mounted, lithium-ion battery pack that has a gross (total) energy capacity of 83.9kWh and a net (usable) capacity of 80.7kWh. The i4 eDrive 40 has a claimed range of 590km (WLTP cycle), while the performance-oriented M50 xDrive has a range of 510km (WLTP cycle).
As for charging, the i4 can charge at rates of up to 200kW, adding 164km of range to the eDrive40 in just 10 minutes. It also gets regenerative braking that can top up the battery at rates of up to 116kW in the eDrive40.
BMW i4: rivals in India
The i4, once launched, won’t have any direct competitors in our market. Instead, the top-spec M50 xDrive will loosely rival the entry-level versions of the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan.