BMW unveiled the i4 digitally at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. A year later, the company has finally debuted the model along with its crossover sibling, the iX. The 2022 BMW i4 will be offered in two different trims, one of them being a performance version that makes over 500 horses. The i4 will launch Stateside in the first quarter of 2022 and will come with a starting price tag of $55,400.

2022 BMW i4 - This Is The German Automaker's Answer To The Tesla Model 3

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2022 BMW i4 - This Is The German Automaker's Answer To The Tesla Model 3
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

How Is The BMW i4 On The Outside?

The i4 looks in line with the modern crop of Bimmers. The kidney grille is seen here too. It is up to you to get used to it because the automaker has been quite clear in the past that this design isn’t going anywhere.

There are a lot of aerodynamic touches all around, as expected, like the front spoiler, the rear tailgate-integrated spoiler, rear diffuser, etc. It also comes with an active air flap control at the bottom up front to further reduce the drag and allow airflow to the drive system and battery. The flaps can be controlled in 10 different stages. Courtesy of all this, the coefficient of drag on the i4 0.24 in the case of the eDrive40 and 0.25 for the M50.

The eDrive40 comes with 18-inch wheels as standard and 19-inch as optional. The M50 rides on 19-inch M light-alloy wheels as standard and more 19- and 20-inch wheels as optional. Overall, the i4 has a very conventional appearance unlike the generic ‘futuristic’ feels and vibes associated with an electric vehicle.

The i4 M50 comes with a few exterior differences, like a signature U-shaped bumper as seen on the regular M models, additional side air intakes, Cerium Grey shade-finished vertical trim around the air curtains, and an M-specific spoiler, amongst other things.

How Big Is The 2022 i4?

The BMW i4 is 188.3 inches long, 72.9 inches wide, and 57 inches tall. The car comes with a 112.8-inch long wheelbase. The ground clearance is rated at 4.9 inches. The front and rear tracks on the eDrive40 are 63- and 64.2 inches wide, but on the M50, they are 62.6- and 63.2 inches wide.

2022 BMW i4 specifications

Length

188.3 inches

Width

72.9 inches

Height

57 inches

Wheelbase

112.8 inches


The automaker hasn’t revealed the weight of the vehicle yet, but has noted the weight distribution. On the eDrive40, the front/back weight distribution is 45.1/54.9, while on the M50 it’s a little more balanced at 48.1/51.9.

How Is The BMW i4 On The Inside?

On the inside, the i4 feels plush and premium. As you’d expect in an EV, you get big screens and barely a few buttons and switches. Behind the steering wheel, which seems to be on the larger size in the images, is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. It is conjoined with a 14.9-inch touchscreen on the center console. It runs on the iDrive 8 infotainment system.

The cabin feels spacious and there should be no dearth of space at the rear either, thanks to the 112.8-inch long wheelbase. Some of the other features offered on the i4 include:

-* Tri-zone automatic climate control

-* LED ambient lighting

-* Head-up display

-* Rear-view camera

-* Sunroof

The i4 was also in the news since last year because of BMW’s association with Hans Zimmer. The academy award winner has worked on the car’s acoustics to artificially generate sound and emit through the external speakers to make the pedestrians and other vehicles on the road aware of its presence. So, shall we expect it to sound like a spaceship? Lol. Oh, wait. That’s not funny because it is true!

How Much Power Does The BMW i4 Make?

The i4 eDrive40 trim comes with a single motor mounted on the rear axle.This trim takes 5.7 seconds to sprint to 62 mph from rest and has a top speed of 118 mph.

The performance M50 comes with a dual-motor setup, with one motor mounted on each axle. The front motor makes 255 horses and the rear motor makes 308 horses. The individual torque figures are yet to be announced. This propels the i4 to sprint from rest to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds. This is far from the Model 3 Performance’s 0-60 mph time of 3.1 seconds (3.2 from 0-62 mph estimated), but impressive nevertheless.

It must be noted that 536 horses and 586 pound-feet of torque are available only when you activate the boost function when engaged in the Sport Mode. When not activated, the maximum power is 469 horses and 538 pound-feet of torque, which is 67 horses and 48 pound-feet of torque fewer. This Sport Boost function can be engaged for 10 seconds and is accompanied by an M-specific soundtrack.

This, dear readers, is the future. Keep a keen eye on the M50 performance model because this is the preview of BMW’s future. The automaker is killing 50-percent of its engine to make room for electrification and this is what can be expected from now on. There’s no word on which engines will be chopped, but one of them could be the 3.0-liter, six-cylinder mill since there are rumors that the M3 will go fully-electric from the next-gen. Take it with a pinch of salt since nothing is confirmed or official yet.

How Long Can The BMW i4 Travel On A Single Charge?

Both the i4 trims are offered with the same 83.9 kWh battery pack with 81.5 kWh of it being usable. These are preliminary figures for now and we’ll probably have the exact figures closer to the launch.

The range has never been the automaker’s strong suit even though it has been developing the batteries in-house since 2013. At the onset, 300 miles doesn’t sound too bad. But when you compare it to the segment leader – the Model 3 – it seems insufficient. The Model 3, in its best avatar, comes with an EPA-estimated range of 353 miles and 263 in its worst.

When plugged into an 11 kW AC charger, the battery takes 7.6 hours to recuperate from 0 to 100-percent. It even supports DC fast-charging up to 200 kW. Here, it takes 31 minutes to charge from 10 to 80-percent.

How Much Does The BMW i4 Cost?

This doesn’t include the $995 destination charge. Also, these prices are excluding the federal tax credit. BMW hasn’t completed its 200,000 EV still so all the customers will be eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500.

If you are eligible for the full credit, then it would bring the price to $47,900 and $58,400 respectively. This will make the base trim cheaper than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range and Performance trims, which are priced at $48,990 and $56,990 respectively. However, it still doesn’t undercut the Model 3 Standard Range Plus model which starts at $39,990.

When Will The BMW i4 Arrive In The U.S.?

The 2022 BMW i4 is slated to be launched in the first quarter of 2022 and deliveries could soon follow.