BMW

i4

The BMW i4 is a real statement vehicle as it is the first all-electric premium car from the group. Boasting an impressive driving range, along with powerful styling and high-end technology, it is a fabulous allrounder that delivers on the performance front too.

The good

Design, performance and technology

The bad

Pricey with options

Tech Specs

Price from

£51,905

Combined Fuel up to

Driving range up to 367 miles

0-62 from

3.9 seconds

max speed up to

140mph

co2 from

0g/km

Test Drive

BMW i4 M50 – First Drive (2022)

Anyone fearing the fun will go out of driving when we go all-electric needs to book a test drive in the new BMW i4 M50. They will soon change their mind.

That’s because the i4, which is based on the 4 Series Gran Coupe, delivers excellent pace out the blocks, a very decent range between charges and has all the latest on-board wizardry you could possibly wish for.

The entry-level i4 eDrive40 is available in trim levels called Sport and M Sport and costs £51,905 and £53,405 respectively. With a power output of 340hp and peak torque of 430Nm, they can complete the 0-62mph dash in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 118mph and driving range of up to 367 miles.

However, for the slightly more adventurous, there is the mighty i4 M50 with 544hp and 795Nm of torque. This performance model can blast its way to 62mph in 3.9 seconds, maxes out at 140mph and has a driving range of 316 miles. The price is just over £10k more at £63,905 –increased to £73,425 with options.

And it was this powerhouse that we opted to put through its paces – it passed with flying colours.

Firstly, the design. The i4 M Sport certainly has the wow factor to stop onlookers in their tracks. With short overhangs, slim pillars, frameless windows, neat light clusters, a tapering roofline and 20-inch alloys along with red brake calipers, it’s hard not to notice this car.

Add the M styling cues and it really ups the stakes. These include a front apron with the signature U-shaped graphic of M models. There are additional air intakes, that large kidney grille is blanked off and finished in grey. Other eye-catching features include gloss black trimmings and an M-specific spoiler.

The interior is pure class throughout and once again that sporty theme is apparent with high-end Vernasca leather upholstered sports seats, lots of M badging, a multi-function sports steering wheel and black seatbelts with red and blue stripes.

The main focal point inside the i4 is BMW’s very latest entertainment set-up. There is a stunning curved display with the 12.3-inch information display and 14.9-inch control display merging into one single driver-focused unit. It is held in position by a supporting structure which is concealed from view, so the whole unit appears to float. The graphics are pin sharp and the anti-glare glass is another fine touch.

There are many on-board systems to explore and these can be accessed via the touchscreen, steering wheel buttons, a rotary controller or voice activation.

Creature comforts include sat nav, a 16-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, DAB radio, head-up display, wireless phone charging, full smartphone connectivity and lots more besides.

The seats and steering wheel can be heated to fend off the winter blues and the new BMW Personal Assistant is now far more intuitive learning on the go. For example, if you arrive at a certain GPS location regularly and lower your window possibly at a barrier, the system will suggest doing this for you automatically. Clever stuff indeed.

Onto performance then and will non EV-believers be swayed? Almost certainly they will. The pace is instant and keeps on coming. This car eats up motorway miles for fun and reaches the national speed limit in the blink of an eye.

With the 83.9kWh battery pack positioned beneath the floor, the car has a low centre of gravity and that is great news when it comes to ride and handling. It is exceptionally well balanced through sweeping country lanes with minimal signs of body sway.

And the M50 model also gains an extra electric motor on its front axle to deliver all-wheel drive. The steering is perfectly weighted with ample driver feedback and there are drive modes called Sport, Comfort and Eco that alter the responses of the car.

A rather tempting Sport Boost setting is also worth exploring as it increases the combined power and torque to their maximum levels for 10 seconds at a time. And this extra burst of pace is accompanied by a raspy M-specific note inside the cabin.

The i4 M50 weighs more than 2.2 tonnes so is quite a heft brute, but it’s not that noticeable when driving. However, if you do push on enthusiastically and have all the battery-draining functions running, you will see the mileage at your disposal drop fairly significantly, especially on colder days.

Comfort levels are excellent though and the adaptive M suspension does a worthy job of ironing out the road creases along the way. Special mention to the refinement within the car too with any tyre and wind noise well suppressed.

Extra energy is captured during braking and, if left to its own devices, the car achieves this seamlessly in the background.

There is room for a trio of back seat passengers but due to the sloping roof design, headroom is quite restricted. Children will have no issues though.

The boot, accessed via a powered tailgate, can swallow 470 litres of luggage – increasing to 1,290 litres with the split-folding rear seats dropped flat. There are also a number of handy compartments throughout the car, including a central cubby box, deep glovebox, front and rear cup holders, seat back pockets, wide door bins and a hidden compartment beside the driver’s right knee.

Charging from 0 to 100 per cent from a home wallbox takes approximately 8.5 hours, but faster boosts can be achieved en route with 87 miles added in just 10 minutes via a fast charger.

Although the car is too pricey for any Government grants, business drivers will reap the tax saving rewards via the Benefit in Kind system and the car is exempt from road tax, Congestion Charge fees and the luxury car levy.

When you factor in the comprehensive range of top spec safety equipment and driver assist systems, the BMW i4 M50 really is a fabulous package neatly wrapped up in a firecracker of a car. Great to look at, fun to drive and cheaper to run than any petrol or diesel-powered cars.