BMW i4 marches to an electric beat with 300-mile range

In the wee early hours of Wednesday morning for those of us on the east coast, revealed the first images and information on its new electric sedan, the i4. The car will help usher in a new era for the German brand as it sets its sights on premium EVs and the performance that comes with them.

We hardly got full details on the car, but BMW said it's confident Americans will see its EPA-estimated range come in at 300 miles per charge in top spec. Expect various battery pack options, but the biggest battery should hit the magic number starting with a three. The sedan should also go from 0-60 mph in 4 seconds with 530 all-electric horsepower motivating the sedan.

If the design looks a little familiar, that's because it's essentially a four-door version of the coupe. So, if you like the 4 Series but want an EV, this is the car for you, hence the i4 designation. This time last year, BMW showed us the i4 Concept, which the company said was around 85% production ready, and it was right. The car keeps its four-door coupe shape, big grille and nice proportions when viewed from the side. I think the production car looks a tad more bloated from this angle than the concept, but I agree with something Roadshow's Steven Ewing said in 2020: the side profile is the car's best look.

One neat touch that carries over from the i4 Concept is the way designers worked to highlight the rear end. Since the car doesn't need tailpipes, you'll notice blue outlines in the diffusor area. BMW wanted to still highlight the car's sportiness, and with this trick it highlights an area we'd typically see a dual exhaust. I'll save final judgement on the rear for an in-person look, but the cladding area also makes the car look taller than it is. Perhaps it's an on-purpose eye trick in the era of crossover dominance.

BMW didn't release photos of the interior, but look for it to sport the brand's latest iDrive 8 system. In fact, the i4 will be the car to launch the digital ecosystem makeover. We'll learn full details on the sedan in the next few weeks.

BMW i4 revealed, four-door EV promises 300-mile range

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