The luxury car giant, BMW has rolled out the BMW i4 EV in India at Rs 69.90 lakhs. The new electric sedan is based on the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, giving this futuristic marvel a big edge over its rivals. The BMW i4 EV will fill the gap between the BMW M340i and BMW iX electric SUV, the BMW flagship in India. Let’s delve a little deeper into what the BMW i4 EV has to offer.
- Range of 590 km and 83.9 kWh battery pack
- The charging speeds of up to 205 kW
BMW i4 Exteriors
The BMW i4 is largely based on the 4-Series Gran Coupe but still sports some very distinguishable features like a closed-off front kidney grille. The 10-stage active air flap is housed in the front grille to help reduce drag, while also providing cooling to the batteries, AC system, brakes, and drive system when required. The 17-inch aerodynamically optimized wheels, flush door handles, and reprofiled front and rear bumpers are designed to improve aerodynamics and more effective cooling for an astonishing driving range. The BMW i4 measures 4,783mm in length, 1,852mm in width, 1,448mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,856mm which is 39mm longer than that of the BMW 3 series.
BMW i4 Interiors
A single eDrive40 variant of BMW i4 is available in India and will be imported directly as CBU units. The cabin of the BMW i4 is well laid out and includes a luxurious abundance of features like a free center console area, a curved twin-screen set-up consisting of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
With BMW’s latest iDrive 8 user interfaces, the infotainment also supports over-the-air updates and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Furthermore, to ensure stability while driving, BMW has equipped the i4 with rear air suspension and lift-related dampers. The comfort is taken care of by three-zone automatic climate control, LED ambient lighting, a sunroof, reverse parking assist with a camera, and a 17-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system.
BMW i4 Powertrain
Just like the BMW iX, this electric sedan is underpinned by BMW’s modular CLAR platform, which accommodates an 83.9 kWh battery pack. The battery powers an electric motor mounted on the rear axle, which produces 340HP of power and 430 Nm of peak torque, making the i4 sprint 0-100kph in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 190 km/h. The BMW i4 can be charged with a 205-kW charger which charges it for a range of 164 km in 10 minutes. The claimed range of the BMW i4 eDrive40 is 590 km which is the best among all EVs currently sold in India.
You can also charge the i4 by a traditional wall box charger at a rate of 11kW, enabling the battery to charge from 0-100 percent in 8.5 hours. The BMW i4 also features regenerative braking that helps recover battery charge at rates of up to 116kW.
Luxury EV Competition
The BMW i4 joins a growing list of luxury electric vehicles being introduced in India. The new BMW electric sedan slots well below the expensive flagship EVs from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi that occupy the more than Rs. 1 crore price bracket. However, competition is expected to arrive at this price point from the upcoming Kia EV6 and Volvo XC40 Recharge.
