BMW's i4 electric sedan finally presented as a concept

After years of teasing, BMW is not yet quite ready to show the final version of its i4 electric sedan, the long-awaited sequel to its i3 EV and i8 hybrids which should be released in 2021. But a new concept version unveiled at the (now digital- only) The Geneva Motor Show 2020 is the best overview to date of what the German automaker has in store with the i4.

First of all, BMW reiterates a lot of i4 specifications shared at the Los Angeles auto show in November 2019 and also clarifies some things. The big one is the litter. When BMW claimed at the time that the i4 would have 600 kilometers (nearly 400 miles) with a full battery, it seemed obvious that the company was relying on the more tolerant European standard WLTP. It turns out that this was true, as BMW now says that the i4 will be delivered with a range estimated by the EPA of 270 miles (or about 435 kilometers).

While it may be a little less exciting, it would still be a sufficient technological feat given that BMW says that the i4 will be powered by an 80 kWh battery. For a rough comparison, the Porsche Taycan Turbo has a 93.4 kWh battery and only got an EPA rating of 201 miles, while the slower but lighter Hyundai Kona gets nearly 260 miles on a 64 kWh pack. There are a lot of factors that ultimately determine the range estimates for EPAs, but if BMW can really get that many miles out of this battery, it would put it somewhat at the top of the list when it comes to 39; energy efficiency goes.

BMW also sticks to its canons that the single i4s engine will produce 390 kW of power, or around 530 horsepower. It's a lot of power for an electric motor, so much so that BMW says it's on par with one of the company's V8 combustion engines. BMW says the i4 can go from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4 seconds.

The good thing about these numbers, as long as they hold out, is that it all comes from what BMW says is the fifth generation of its electric transmission (the battery, the electric motor and Other technologies that put power on the road). ). While it has been difficult to see the company making exactly zero successors to the i3 or the i8 in the years since these cars were released, BMW fact continue to iterate on the underlying electrical technology. Now, this fifth generation technology will not only power the i4, but iNext SUV and iX3 only in China.

More than anything, what the new conceptual version of the i4 offers is a better idea of ​​what the electric sedan will look like and what it will be like for everyone's life. days.

The i4 concept has a more aggressive front end than most other BMWs on the road at the moment, especially with the elongated and essentially gaping radiator grille that extends almost to the ground. But on the side or back, the i4 looks like its many modern BMW siblings. If anything, the sharp folds of the body make it more flexible than a BMW.

The interior is a very different experience. The interior of the i4s is a mixed evolution of the i8 cockpit inspired by sports cars and the more spacious i3s, with an aesthetic of material mix.

Above all, there is literally an all-glass roof that offers views above and beyond for each person inside the i4. BMW says interior of i4 is more spacious than it looks, but whatever its size, the glass roof is sure to provide passengers with the more claustrophobic peace of mind. Even better for the rear passengers is the fact that, unlike the i8, this time there are full-size rear seats.

Everything dominates by a large curved screen that extends from the left side of the steering wheel almost to the passenger seat. There are virtually no buttons around the screen and just a few on the steering wheel, so BMW is targeting the type of front tactile experience made popular by Tesla. (There is, however, a button and a few buttons in the center console, next to the gear selector and drive buttons.) BMW says that all of this configuration will also be in the next iNext SUV. This is a far cry from the two separate screens offered by both the i3 and the i8 on their respective dashboards, but it is a logical progression given where the design of modern infotainment has passed.

The i4s' screens and instrument panel appear to roll up on the driver's side, in the same way that the interior of the i8s is skewed towards the person behind the wheel. But the interior doesn't look as restrictive as the i8s. Helping is the fact that the i4 is adorned with lighter-colored and sometimes even reflective materials. The way BMW executed a mixture of fabric and leather in the seats and dashboard, with bronze and chrome accessories all around, makes the interior of the i4 more more consistent and sophisticated than that of i3.

Half a decade ago, BMW was sort of ahead of the curve in electrification. But the endeavor of the company has stopped. This left many BMW fans who were looking for a solid follow-up to the quirky i3 EV, or the expensive but head-turning hybrid i8 hybrid, looking forward to the best. The i4 is still a long way from going into production, but the concept that BMW presented this week is probably the most coherent vision of the company's electric future that we have seen to date, regardless of 39; hour of his arrival.

What happens next depends on the people of Munich.